The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD)

  • Yuletide: NUPENG assures of regular petrol supply

    Yuletide: NUPENG assures of regular petrol supply

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers ( NUPENG ) on Wednesday assured motorists of regular supply of petroleum products to filling stations during the Yuletide and beyond.

    Mr. Tayo Aboyeji, the new Chairman of South-West Chapel of NUPENG, gave the assurance in an interview in Lagos.

    According to Aboyeji, tanker drivers will work throughout the Christmas and New Year festivals to ensure that filling stations in the South West get sufficient products.

    “I met the top management of Pipelines and Product Marketing Company ( PPMC ), a subsidiary of NNPC, on the assurance of products due to current fuel scarcity in some parts of the country.

    Read also: NUPENG offers support for NNPC to end fuel scarcity

    “If there is no petrol at depots, there is nothing we can take to filling stations.

    “They assured us that sufficient supply will be available in both PPMC depots in  in Lagos and Mosinmi in Ogun during the period.

    “They also promised to ensure that some private depots being used by the company for distribution will be fully loaded with petroleum products.

    “With this assurance from the NNPC, our tanker drivers will work round the clock to ensure that most filling stations in the South West have more than enough product.

    “We will ensure that Muslim members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers ( PTD ) work around the clock to ensure that petrol is available during the Christmas and New Year holidays,” he said.

    The chairman appealed to Federal Government to ensure speedy completion of Apapa-Wharp Road which was being handled by Dangote Group.

    He said that reconstruction works were taking toll on petroleum tankers going to different tank farms in Apapa, adding that tankers were on queues for days before getting to depots.

    ‘Our tankers spend close to two weeks on queues due to reconstruction of the road before accessing tank farms in Apapa; this is part of what is resulting in scarcity of petrol in the country.

    “We are all aware that 80 per cent of petroleum products being used by Nigerians are coming from these private tank farms in Apapa, so the repair work should be done on time,” he said.

    NAN

  • Tanker drivers’ strike paralyses loading activities in Lagos

    Loading activities at both private depots and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) depots in Lagos were on Monday paralysed as Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) commenced a nationwide strike to press home their demands for enhanced welfare.

    Correspondents of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who monitored the strike in Lagos observed that all tank farms in Apapa were empty, without the usual loading of products associated with depots.

    The Apapa depots visited included Total Oil and Gas, Capital Oil and Gas, NIPCO Oil and Gas, Aiteo Oil and Gas, Sahara Oil and Gas, Conoil, as well as Mobil Oil and Gas.

    The drivers were seen in groups discussing, while others were leaving the depots for unknown destinations.

    Alhaji Taofeek Lawal, the Head, Corporate Communications of NIPCO, Apapa told NAN that all depots in Apapa were empty as a result of the strike.

    According to him, there are no loading activities at present because the tanker drivers are on strike.

    He appealed to the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), PTD, NNPC representatives and other stakeholders to step in and find a lasting solution to the strike.

    Meanwhile, Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, the South-West Chairman of NUPENG had told NAN that the Federal Government’s representatives were meeting with NARTO and NUPENG representatives, to resolve the matter.

    Korodo said that the outcome of the meeting would decide if the strike would continue or not.

    He, however, said that there was no distribution or loading of products in any part of the country.

    One of the depot officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, however, told NAN that the strike was uncalled for.

    He said that the tanker drivers should have resolved the problem with the truck owners, instead of resorting to go on strike.

    The depot official noted that the country had lost over N20 billion to the ongoing strike.

    NAN reports that the strike was as a result of some unresolved issues bordering on the welfare of workers, such as bad roads, poor remuneration, insecurity and the alleged excesses of some security agencies.

  • Nationwide strike looms as NUPENG begins warning strike

    Nationwide strike looms as NUPENG begins warning strike

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) on Wednesday began its three-day nationwide warning strike over unresolved labour issues with multinationals operating in the oil and gas industry.

    Mr Rotimi Benjamin, the Vice-Chairman, South-West Zonal Council of the union told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the three nation’s refineries were not loading due to the strike.

    Benjamin said that the situation remained the same in both private and NNPC depots in Lagos, adding that loading had been grounded due to the strike.

    The vice-chairman said that the union had mobilised members to ensure that the strike achieved its purpose.

    He said that the leadership of the union did not proceed on strike to make life difficult for the masses but to press home its demand.

    Benjamin, however, said that the National Executive Council (NEC) of the union were currently meeting with Federal Government representatives and International Oil Companies (IOCs) on the way forward.

    He said the leadership of the union would address the public on whether to suspend the warning strike or to continue with it.

    Journalists who monitored the strike observed that all depots in Lagos were not loading petroleum products as a result of the strike.

    Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) were seen discussing the strike in the group.

    A tanker driver from Ekiti State, Mr Oluwole Joseph, who came to load at NIPCO Depot in Apapa, said he thought the strike would not go on.

    Joseph said that he thought the government would have met with the leadership of the union to resolve the issues.

    He said that he hoped the strike would be suspended after today’s meeting with the union.

    NUPENG, on December 16, gave the Federal Government a notice of a three-day nationwide warning strike from the second week of January 2017, over unresolved labour issues with multinationals operating in the oil and gas industry.

    President of the union, Mr Igwe Achese, in a statement, said the decision was taken at the end of the NUPENG NEC meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers.

    He warned that the three-day warning strike was preparatory to a nationwide strike if there was no intervention by the Federal Government.

    NAN also reports that on December 10, NUPENG concluded from its NEC meeting in Abuja to continue with the three-day warning strike starting from Jan.11.

  • Pandemonium as IPMAN, PTD members clash at Warri depot

    Pandemonium as IPMAN, PTD members clash at Warri depot

    There was pandemonium on Tuesday at the Warri Depot of the Pipelines Product and Marketing Company (PPMC) as members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria and the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) engaged in a free-for-all

    Eyewitness told our reporter that scores of marketers and tanker drivers were injured during the scuffle, which a faction claim was instigated by the leadership of IPMAN and the PTD.

    “Problem started when some community youths invaded the depot and attacked workers who were protesting against the leadership style of the IPMAN and PTD executive.”

    Among those who sustained injuries were Messrs Pascal Okirika and Emma Kories.

    Some of the aggrieved marketers who spoke with our reporter blamed the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, parent company of the PPMC for the clash.