The South-West Zonal Chairman of NUPENG, Tayo Aboyeji, who disclosed this in an interview with NAN, said the union has lost many lives and properties due to bad roads. Aboyeji said that all tanker drivers from the union would withdraw their services nationwide.

He said “This is not the first time that we will signify our intention to go on strike but we have to call it off because it will generally affect the majority of Nigerians but now our hands are tied. We are going on a nationwide strike because of the deplorable and shameful state of our highways. When a truckloads petrol in Lagos, the drivers spend five to six days to get to Abuja because of the shameful state of the roads. All calls by the executive of petroleum unions have fallen on the deaf ears of the government as the highways continue to deteriorate nationwide. The list of the highway are endless and the tanker drivers have been going through the harrowing situation while rendering selfless national service. The increased rate of fire incidences involving petroleum tankers with accompanying massive destruction of lives and properties of our members and the general public is enough. This is because of government failure to enforce the installation of safety gadgets on tankers. This will protect the inflammation contents of their trucks from spilling over in a situation of a road accident. We know that the present administration would not do anything until we start the nationwide strike”

This was contained in a joint communique issued by the Lagos State Government and NUPENG on Monday, August 10.

In a statement released today August 10, the association in a communique that was jointly signed by the Lagos Commissioner of Energy and Mineral Resources, Olalere Odusote, and NUPENG Deputy National President, Solomon Kilanko, announced the suspension of the strike after both parties had a meeting.

Part of the communique read “The Lagos State Government met today with the representatives of NUPENG, which agreed to call off its strike immediately. Other decisions taken at the meeting are security – the state government will meet the heads of all security agencies and secure their commitment to ensuring the free passage of petroleum products vehicles given their importance to the economy. Area boys – the menace of area boys will be handled by relevant government agencies and a dedicated phone number will be established, within next week to ensure the petroleum products transporters have prompt access to security agencies. Lagos State Government will immediately set up a standing Committee to relate with the Union on an ongoing basis to address any issue as they arise.”

This was contained in a statement title ‘NUPENG leadership directs withdrawal of services by petroleum tanker drivers in Lagos State with effect from Monday, August 10, 2020,’ and signed by the National President, Williams Akporeha, and the General Secretary, Olawale Afolabi on Friday, August 7.

According to a statement, the directive followed the failure of various authorities in the state to address three major issues that had severely caused petroleum tanker drivers pains and harrowing experiences in the state for several months now

The statement read, “The entire rank and file members of the union are deeply pained, frustrated and agonised by the barrage of these challenges being consistently faced by petroleum tanker drivers in Lagos State and are left with no other option but to direct the withdrawal of their services in Lagos State until the Lagos State Government and other relevant stakeholders address these critical challenges.

“It is sad and disheartening to note here that we had made several appeals and reports to the Lagos State Government and the Presidential Task Force for the decongestion of Apapa on these challenges but all to no avail.”

NUPENG said it had made wide consultations with various leadership organs of its union and with other key stakeholders in the oil and gas industry.

“We cannot afford to fold our arms while our members are being consistently and continually extorted, intimidated, harassed and victimized by different groups and segments in Lagos, hence we highlight to the general public the following three major challenges Petroleum Tanker Drivers are facing in Lagos State:

“It is really disturbing and as well inexplicable that security agents who are expected to ensure free-flow of traffic and protection of road users now use their uniforms and arms to intimidate, harass and extort money from Petroleum Tanker Drivers. This reprehensible conduct is taking serious tolls on the psychological, emotional, and financial state of Petroleum Tanker Drivers and their capacity to effectively and efficiently deliver services to the nation.

“This menace must stop and the leadership of these security operatives in Lagos State must go all out to call their men to order with immediate effect. Every one of them should be content with their salaries and allowances rather than turning hapless Petroleum Tanker Drivers to money-making machines.

“Persistent traffic gridlock and indiscriminate parking of containerized trucks on major Lagos roads and bridges leading to Apapa port, Kirikiri, Beach Land, Satellite Town, Ijegun, are another major setbacks bedeviling the smooth running of the operations of Petroleum Tanker Drivers in Lagos State. As of today, MRS Depot has been held captive for more than 3 months from discharging products to Petroleum Tanker Drivers despite heavy availability of Petroleum products stockpiled in their tank farm facilities.

“For safety reasons, Petroleum Tanker Drivers cannot continue to struggle with these containerized trucks in these corridors considering the inflammable nature of the products our members carry and we cannot afford to undermine safety standards, procedures, and protocols in the course of our services.

“This is a situation that appears to have defied solution, considering the government’s non-intervention, lack of sensitivity over the years and collusion by those called upon by the Presidency to proffer solutions to the problem. From Oshodi/Apapa Expressway, Ojuelegba Bridge, Iponri, Constain roads, the situation is the same.

“Ikorodu road through Funsho Williams Avenue (formerly Western Avenue) to Ijora inward Apapa and Oshodi-Apapa Expressway through Mile 2 to Berger Yard inward Tincan Island, have been overwhelmed with indiscriminate parking of these articulated vehicles, aggravating the gridlock faced by Petroleum Tanker Drivers that ply the roads daily to lift products.

“For several months now, the Mile 2-Apapa Expressway (formerly Malu Road, now Mobil Road) have been witnessing a terrible traffic gridlock leaving Petroleum Tanker Drivers stranded and helpless.

“It’s really worrisome that Lagos State which is known to be a megacity and centre of excellence has now become a safe haven for area boys and area god-fathers who now see Petroleum Tanker Drivers as soft targets, extorting money from them every day, assaulting them and vandalising their trucks in some instances, especially when some of the Tanker Drivers show restraints in paying them illegal fees and levies.

“Petroleum Tanker Drivers now battle with both Area Boys and Area God-fathers amidst a deplorable state of the roads in Lagos State, and this is really causing PTD lots of havoc on a daily basis, a distance of just about 10 kilometres for example, now takes seven to eight hours of maneuvers and meandering by petrol tankers, many of which break down in the process, upturning their contents, killing PTD members and endangering the lives of several other Nigerians who traverse the roads. Without sounding immodest, further delay in their repairs portends greater danger to the citizenry.

“Tanker Drivers whose activities cut across Oguntedo, old Ojo road, Ijegun-Egba, Abule Ado and its environs in Satellite town, Oriade Local government Area, and Apapa corridor of Lagos state have continued to work in fears, following incessant attacks by members of various notorious groups who have developed a penchant for extorting money forcefully from Tanker Drivers. They are known for operating unchallenged and freely around Apapa, Kirikiri, Mile 2, Maza-Maza, and Abule-Ado, near Trade Fair flank, etc.

“Consequently, as a socially responsible organization, we have made wide consultations with various leadership organs of our Union and with other key stakeholders in the oil and gas industry and therefore resolved to embark on an indefinite strike beginning from 12 am, Monday, August 10, 2020, if there are no decisive and convincing actions from Lagos State Government to address these concerns and challenges.

“Our solidarity remains constant for the Union makes us strong.”

The workers had threatened to embark on a warning strike from Wednesday, June 24 to Friday, June 26, 2020, to protest the Federal Government’s attempt to forcefully enrol its members into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

However, the planned strike has been stalled to give the federal government time to act.

In a statement to oil workers in the employ of the Federal Government, Secretary-General of PENGASSAN, Comrade Lumumba Okugbawa disclosed that the union are currently in talks with officials of the government and would provide updates after talks are concluded.

He said, “Refer to our letter dated June 17, 2020, on the above subject, which a copy was sent to you. The matter has been apprehended and discussions ongoing with the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources. The Secretariat will get back to you as events unfold.”

This notice is to compel Chevron Nigeria Limited, to honour the agreement it reached with the union on June 20, 2019.

In a statement signed by the President and General Secretary of NUPENG, Prince Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale, the union said: “NUPENG, with deep frustration and worries, would like to alert the general public and all relevant authorities of the blatant violation of agreement reached between Chevron Nigeria Limited Company and unions in the industry. It is public knowledge that unions in the oil and gas industry had a protracted negotiation with Chevron Nigeria Limited over 70 per cent labour manpower reduction which it (Chevron) claimed was required in view of reduction in their operations in the oil and gas Industry. After up to one year negotiation, brokered by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC; National Petroleum Investment Management Services, NAPIMS, and Ministry of Labour, it was agreed that considering the intervention of all the institutions mentioned above and the various justifications made, only 30 per centof the Labour Manpower Contract Workers will be relieved. Of the 1,856 contract workers in the company, NUPENG has 1,120; PENGASSAN, 213; and non-unionised, 523. It was agreed that the 30% reduction shall be spread in equal percentage among the three groups. It was also agreed that union executives (NUPENG and PENGASSAN) will not be affected by the reduction, that Chevron Nigeria Limited will not in any guise change the Labour manpower to service contracts. It was also agreed that anyone that voluntarily offers to go will be counted as part of the agreed 30%. Unfortunately, immediately after the agreement was reached, Chevron started executing the exercise in blatant violation of the agreed terms, ostensibly to either put NUPENG in bad light as troublesome or for extinction because only NUPENG members have been exited from work, leaving behind the Non- Unionised workers and PENGASSAN members. It is further embarrassing to see that NUPENG executives are also part of those already locked out. From our record, over 500 of NUPENG members are being sacked. We further learned that the intention of Chevron is to change the contract to short term service contract and we see this as unfair and a breach of agreement reached with us in bad faith. All NUPENG executives should be called back to work, the percentage of reduction agreed should be spread to the three groups as agreed to avoid creating the impression that NUPENG was the target of the exercise. The good disposition of the new leadership of NUPENG should not be taken for granted. Chevron should not be allowed to use this exercise to change the Labour Manpower contract to service contract in a disguised manner. Consequent on the above demands and having been pushed to the wall, NUPENG, hereby, puts all our members on red alert should Chevron Nigeria Limited and its contractors fail to honour or comply with our demands within the next seven days, we would also not hesitate to take all necessary legal options available to us, including industrial actions, to press home our legitimate demands.”