Concerned tanker drivers from different parts of the country have raised alarm over public statements attributed to a ‘faceless group’ operating under the platform of PTD Elders Forum.
They accused the group which they noted is not known to the PTD bylaws and NUPENG constitution of dishing out falsehood to members of the public.
Comrades Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale, President and General Secretary of NUPENG, respectively had in a statement on Sunday alerted members of the public and security agents that the so called ‘PTD Elders Forum’ are inflitrators with sinister motive to cause disaffection within the ranks of genuine leadership of the Tanker Drivers Branch of NUPENG.
The NUPENG leaders also disclosed that Comrade Augustine Egbon is the National Chairman of the PTD- NUPENG, duly elected by members at its Branch Delegates Conference held in Lagos on July 3, 2024.
Addressin a press in Lagos, the tanker drivers from Kaduna, Lagos, Port-Harcourt and Warri zones, disowned the PTD Elders, saying they are fake individuals masquerading as tanker drivers.
One of the tanker drivers from Kaduna zone, Comrade Bashir Izalan, said he was surprised that a faceless group was laying claim to membership of the PTD- NUPENG.
He said: “We don’t have anything like PTD Elders in the hierarchy of PTD- NUPENG. We don’t know them.
“The only recognised national chairman we know is led by Comrade Egbon.
“His leadership is transparent, he gives us a sense of belonging because we can go to anywhere in the country and feel at home. If we fall sick, we have insurance and hospitals where we would be treated.
“If we have any problem either with our company or vehicles, the union is always ready and willing to solve the problem because drivers can approach any unit close to them at any point in time and explain themselves and the union will stand up and rescue them. Even if you load in Lagos and go to Kano or Kaura Namoda, there is somebody to take care of your problems there.
“So, the union is always handy and ready to come to our aid and solve our problems even before owners of the truck know of the problem.”
Speaking on behalf of tanker drivers in Lagos Zone, Comrade Itanola Abiodun told newsmen that the impostors do not belong to the Union and appealed to security agents to fish them out for prosecution.
According to him, “everybody who belongs to a union has a unit and zone where that unit is located. Then, they have PTD branch. Those units where they claimed they come from do not exist. We in those zones do not know them.
“Their names are not known to us at all. “They should mention the units they belong to for discerning minds to vouch for their authenticity.
“They can not even say the units or zone they belong to. They are not speaking for us. They are impostors, hired to wreak havoc in our union.
” We all have a sense of belonging in PTD. We want to be part of PTD- NUPENG because the leadership of our umbrella body which is NUPENG give us a sense of belonging and are always there for us when we have challenges with our employers.”
Also making his contribution, Comrade
Chukwudi Okafor from Port-Harcourt zone dismissed the claim that the leadership of PTD- NUPENG feed fat on check off dues and loading fee paid by tanker drivers.
Dismissing the allegation as unfounded and uncharitable, the tanker driver told journalists that the money generated as check off dues and payment for loading at depots are funneled to address the needs of the average tanker driver in form of payment for health insurance, pressing welfare needs. This are being paid by truck owners (NARTO) who are the owners of trucks.
He said: “Why are they complaining about money? Are they the ones paying? They know the benefits of our paying the money and we are very comfortable with them.
“It is from that money that they take care of everything we need outside our comfort zones and they use the money to take care of all exigencies, including hospital bills and other unforseen things.
“We have implicit confidence and trust in what they are doing with our money, and as beneficiaries, we have no reason whatsoever to suspect or point accusing fingers at them for any wrong doing.
“Even if we have a problem or run short of allowances, we approach PTD and they come to our rescue without delay.
“We, drivers from different zones in the country, know the benefits of NUPENG and we are enjoying it.
“We are appealing to the government to continue giving PTD NUPENG all the necessary support to continue to thrive because they are helping us to have that sense of belonging and we are proud of them.”
Comrade Dennis Akore, from Warri Zone, however gave a different twist to the recent development in the union.
He accused certain former members of the PTD Branch who lost out in the last delegate conference election held in Lagos as plotting to take over the leadership through the back door.
“The impostors lost out in the election conducted in 2024. When they were in the Union, they abandoned us to our fate. Majority of us tanker drivers benefitted nothing.
“All they were after was what they will reap from the union disregarding the best interest of truck drivers that do the main job. That was why we voted them out. They are now lamenting and sponsoring impostors to discredit PTD NUPENG. At a time, they connived and went to ambush our national officers in Abuja. They nearly lynched our leaders and they are still answering criminals charges over that act till date. Security agencies should urgently round them up so that all their atrocities would be exposed.”
