Tanker Drivers Protest In Calabar, Slam NUPENG Leadership

BY UBON EKANEM, CALABAR – Commercial and other related activities at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) depot in Calabar, the Cross River state capital were temporarily disrupted as petroleum tanker drivers marched on the streets protesting the alleged high-handed by the leadership of National Union Of Petroleum & Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) on Monday, December 18, 2023

They accused NUPENG of constantly paying lip service to their welfare and also regrettably sabotaging all efforts at drawing the government’s attention to their plight.

This is as the Association also claimed that over 40 tanker drivers are at the moment languishing in prison custody across the 36 states of the federation and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on charges ranging from accidents to incomplete waybills.

The placard-carrying Tanker Drivers, who protested at the NNPC Esuk Utang Tank Farm in Calabar also rejected the imposition of leaders on them during elections, insisting that no longer would they condone a situation of NUPENG’s total domination and officials’ exploitation of their members.

Addressing the media to state their case, the Group’s Spokesperson, Comrade Ibrahim Isah said they are resolutely behind the outcome of their national elections which took place in Abuja recently.

In a clear demonstration of their anger that brought all activities to a standstill, the drivers, amid the protest march announced their allegiance to a separate leadership umbrella that would henceforth champion their affairs going forward.

Known as the National Association of Petroleum Tankers Drivers (NAPTAD), the new body, according to them, has severed all links with NUPENG and resolved to chart a new course by going its separate way in the overall interest of peace and goodwill in the sector.

He said henceforth, NUPENG would no longer be allowed to meddle in their affairs as they are determined to stand on their own without being dictated to by a body that has continued to demonstrate a lack of interest in their welfare and other related matters.

Displaying placards with inscriptions, such as ”Drivers On Wheels Are Dying”; “NUPENG Must Leave PTD Alone”; “We Say No To Bad Leadership Of NUPENG”; “NUPENG Cannot Select Any Chairman For Us”; and “Tanker Drivers Freedom Is Now” among others, the drivers’ spokesperson alleged thus; “NUPENG is cheating us and treating us unfairly, like slaves. We no longer want them. We, the drivers, need freedom from them because they are using us.

“They used to go and bring a carpenter, at times, they’d bring a tailor to be the secretary of the association. We drive trucks for 20 to 30 years, and we have no benefit. The time has come to get our rights and we have selected those we want.”

According to Comrade Isah, given that all entreaties for a better deal and improved conditions of service seem to have fallen on deaf ears and proved unfruitful in the past, the time has come for them to openly bare their minds for the public to appreciate what they had been going through in the hands of NUPENG and its leadership

He said that with the new Association, the focus would be on effective engagement with all relevant authorities in the oil and gas sector of the economy towards improving their members’ welfare nationwide.

On the plight of their members, the tanker drivers said; “Over 40 of our members are suffering in prison custody without nobody coming to their rescue or making an attempt to intervene in their cases.  We used to do elections in the past, but now that the election period has come, Afolabi and co want to impose non-driver on us as Chairman. As drivers, we have nothing to show. NUPENG should let us conduct our elections peacefully”.

When contacted on the brewing crisis, the NUPENG representative in Cross River State, Comrade Peter Joshua simply said that they were not aware of what the tanker drivers’ complaints were all about, insisting that the body has been fair in dealings with all its components

However, denying any repressive trend against tanker drivers, Joshua promised to reach out to the media on further developments on the so-called new association formed by the protesting drivers if the need arises.