By Victor AhiumaYoung

The newly elected leadership of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers, PTD, branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has unfolded a four-point agenda for the next four years.
Among the agenda are welfare of members and their safety on the road, informing “There are going to be over 2000 accredited hospitals across the country to cater for every Petroleum Tanker Driver in case of accident or emergency health issues.

At a briefing in Abuja, the newly elected National Chairman of PTD, Augustine Egbon, said “We have four cardinal agenda for our highly committed and dedicated members across the nation. We shall pursue this agenda with all the human and material resources at our disposal. The era of dictatorship and violence is over. This is the era of peace and renewal of hope in similar manner and spirit with the current national drive for a renewal of hope.

Working conditions

According to him, “We shall work assiduously and harmoniously with other critical stakeholders in the Downstream Sector of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry to improve the working conditions for our members.

One major part of this is the Nigerian highways which can be rightly call the workplace of every Tanker Drivers. We shall work and cooperate with the Minister of Works and FERMA to ensure improvements on our highways.

We promise to work in harmony with the leadership and members of National Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO, to ensure that the salaries and allowances of PTDs are improved upon as well as ensure good returns on the owners investment. We shall continue to work with Marketers and Depot Owners as well for the growth of the industry.

Safety on wheels

“We are always saddened when we lose a member or members lose any or their body critical parts through accidents. We shall continue towork with the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, to minimize accidents involving our members on the highways.

“We shall dedicate more funds for trainings of our members on safety on the wheels as well as improve the skills and competencies of our Vehicle Inspection Officers to ensure prevention of accidents before they happen.

Welfare of members

“The welfare of our members in terms of their health and social care will be given priority in our regime. To achieve this, we have reached agreement with Leadway Health LTD (HMO) to provide health insurance
for all Petroleum Tanker Drivers on the wheel. We are completing the biometric registration of all the Petroleum Tanker Drivers on the wheels. This wil enable every Petroleum Tanker Driver to have access to health care whenever and wherever they travel to in the course of their services to the nation.

“There are going to be over 2000 accredited hospitals across the country to cater for every Petroleum Tanker Driver in case of accident or emergency health issues.

The era of losing our members to minor ailments is over. We shall look after the health of every Petroleum Tanker Driver on the wheel.

Collaboration with security agencies

We shall immediately put in motion machinery and programmes with the security agencies to prevent unwarranted intimidation and harassment from bad eggs among the security agencies. It shall be our core responsibility to ensure regular interaction and engagements with the top leadership of our security agencies and work cooperatively with all the rank and file members of these agencies as well.

Attack on Union’s leaders

On those desperate, miserable violent individuals that came to this office on November 1, 2023, to attack the leadership of our Union and wanted to force me under charms, armless, guns, knives, clubs, machetes and sticks to relinquish the mandate of my members, I want to assure all our members that they have failed and our highly respected and revered Nigeria Police Authority is on top of the situation. We implore our gallant Police Officers not to rest on their oars until all the perpetrators and their collaborators are brought to justice.

“The desperation of these individuals for powers, unfortunately did not bring them to occupy this office but it is definitely taking them to prison to spend the rest of their lives there. We don’t want killers and violent people in our Union. We have rules and regulations that guide our conducts and operations. We have since left those dark days behind us. I just want to let the general public and families of those miserable people know that the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers will adequately and appropriately deal with these undesirable elements.”