By Chris Ochayi

The Petroleum Tanker Drivers, PTD, branch of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas, NUPENG, said it has directed its members currently on strike to suspend the two-week industrial action following the intervention of some relevant authorities.

The National Chairman of PTD, Comrade Salimon Olatunji, who gave the directive in Abuja, assured the striking drivers that relevant government agencies have agreed to mediate with a view to addressing their grievances.

Recall that the Port Harcourt unit of union commenced strike a fortnight ago in protest against the deplorable condition of the Port Harcourt Eleme-Onne Road that is the only access to the refineries and petrol tank farms near the state capital.

Olatunji, however called on the Federal Government to immediately carry out palliative measures on the affected roads.

He recalled the union issued an ultimatum last month, where it warned of an impending strike in parts of the South South and South East, and specifically called for urgent repairs of Port-Harcourt-Eleme Junction Road, Okigwe-Umuahia and Jebba-Ilorin Road.

According to him, “Expectedly, our members had on the expiration of the ultimatum boycotted these roads and refused to lift products from those axes for the second week running now, and the situation is becoming unbearable. More so, we want to extend same action to other parts of the country.

“After due consideration and wider consultations, and the intervention by the Department of State Service, DSS, and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, among other stakeholders, we directed our members to resume work in these areas, where we had earlier withdrew our services.

“We also feel the pain, if not more, and thus advise the Federal government to send emissaries to verify the state of these roads and take palliative measures.”

Regretting the plight of fuel tanker drivers as result of the dilapidated federal roads, he said, “The road from Jebba to Ilorin, a distance of about 100 kilometres usually takes a whole day for our members to cover.

Port Harcourt to Eleme Junction, a distance of about 15 kilometres takes over five hours and the same thing goes for the Okigwe-Umuahia Road.”