By Efe Onadjae

A prominent member of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Union, PTD, Mr. Olaitan Idris, has raised the alarm the mass protest looms in the union by its members over the continued parading of  some persons as their elected executive officers  in total breach of recent court order.

The court had ordered  that a genuine election should be conducted and credible officers elected to fill vacant positions in the union.

Olaitan said those claiming to be elected officers of the union sat at a private meeting and arrogated themselves positions in disobedience to a subsisting court order and took laws into their hands believing that they would use money to buy over the union, noting that their action must be urgently stopped to avert serious riot amongst members of the union.

Tracing the genesis of the division in the union, Olaitan said that trouble started after a former National Chairman of the union, completed his tenure but refused to give way to his deputy, Lucky Osesua. 

“He insisted on signing the union cheques and control activities at the Lagos zone, where he was a former chairman.  In fact, he planned to remain relevant and found allies by engaging top officials of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, with a view to getting their support.

“The first thing they did was to change our bye laws without memorandum to suit this ambitious goal to be the next NUPENG President. They continued their plot in total breach of our bye laws and constitution and they disorganised the entire PTD. NUPENG is a mother body of 150 branches, why should they pitch their tent in PTD, if they don’t have a bad motive.

“There was supposed to be election in 2022, after the end of the tenure of PTD leadership in Lagos State and that ofWarri Zone but it never happen. Instead, some people went to court to challenged the eligibility of persons who should ordinarily take over the affairs of the union. They went to court but the eligibility of Lucky Osezua was confirmed. 

“Unfortunately, this did not go well with the opposers and they connived with NUPENG and took over the affairs of PTD.

“I am calling on all relevant government agencies, including law enforcement agencies to to step into the matter because these people are holding our teeming members to ransom.  There should be proper election according to the court order and all the suspended officers should return to their various duties.

  

“The labour law  does not permit all the nonsense and lawless election and malpractices. What they are doing is politicising the union unnecessarily.  They think they can pocket the judiciary because this is the third election within two years.

“Peace will be restored if the right penalty in imposed on those who mess up the court order.  The court cannot manage the union but the court can correct every lawless act in the union.  I foresee riot, massive protest and violence,  let us reason together, obey the court order.

“The situation of things in Nigeria are terrible and all the arms of government are trying their possible best to fix things but in PTD, a group of vicious cabals is sabotaging the life and income of people. A hungry man is an angry man.   If tanker drivers should be allowed to troop into the streets in protest, the economy will suffer.”