The National Secretariat of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (PTD-NUPENG) has issued a warning that it may withdraw its members’ trucks from depots.
This announcement was made yesterday in Abuja by the union’s chairman, Comrade Augustine Egbon.
Egbon stated that the union’s decision is a response to the seizure of members’ loaded trucks by a team from the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
He expressed concerns that a planned strike could disrupt the loading of petroleum products and exacerbate shortages at retail outlets across the country.
Accusing the IGP Task Force, established by the Office of the Inspector-General of Police, of overreach, Egbon detailed incidents where trucks were improperly impounded.
He highlighted that two trucks loaded with Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) were seized between July and August in Funtua, Katsina State, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
“The truck with registration number, GRY 155XA was loaded with 49,000 litres of AGO at Prudent Energy Limited in Oghara, Delta State.
The destination was Sokoto but it was impounded in Funtua, Katsina State on July 31, 2024,” Egbon reported. He further noted, “The second truck with registration number, TWD272XA, with 45,000 litres of AGO was loaded with the products at Integrated Oil & Gas in Apapa, Lagos. Its destination was Yobe State before it was impounded in August in Abuja.”
Despite presenting necessary documentation to the task force, including certifications from regulatory agencies, Egbon lamented that the trucks remain unreleased.
He said, “Samples of the products from the two trucks were certified by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Products Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), yet the IGP office has refused to release the trucks.”
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He further expressed frustration over the lack of response from the IGP’s office, stating, “At our last NEC meeting, we issued a deadline to them, demanding the release of the impounded trucks and a stoppage to the continued harassment of our members.”
Egbon emphasized the union’s commitment to supporting the federal government’s efforts to ensure the availability of petroleum products, adding, “It is unfortunate that the office of the IGP is unmindful of the threat that the excesses of its men constitute to the federal government’s determined efforts to promote effective distribution of petroleum products and peace in the industry.”
The union has issued a two-week ultimatum, warning that if its demands are not met, they will cease loading products from the depots. “Failure to heed our demand by the office of the IGP, we will stop loading of products from the depots,” Egbon concluded.
