By Ayomide Otitoju
The Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch has distanced itself from a nationwide strike notice issued by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), urging members across the country to disregard the planned industrial action scheduled to begin Monday, September 8, 2025.
In a strongly worded statement jointly signed by PTD zonal leaders—Alhaji Tajudeen Abubakar (Kaduna), Chief Blessing Dafinone (Warri), Comrade Joseph Dagogo-Jack (Port Harcourt), and Comrade Kolade Fadahunsi-Ojelabi (Lagos)—the group accused NUPENG’s national leadership of incompetence, internal crisis, and economic sabotage.
The PTD called on the Inspector-General of Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and other security agencies to arrest NUPENG leaders to prevent disruption of economic activities. It warned that the strike move was “insensitive, callous, and unacceptable,” arguing that such action would cripple businesses and worsen hardship for Nigerians.
The tanker drivers accused NUPENG of double standards, pointing to its long-standing conflicts with other petroleum industry groups while condemning recent attacks on Dangote Refinery and its partner, MRS, for alleged monopoly. They insisted that union membership is voluntary and defended Dangote’s plan to import 4,000 CNG-powered trucks for direct fuel distribution as being in the best interest of Nigerians.
The PTD also criticized NUPENG for failing to protect drivers from harassment, poor welfare, and unsafe working conditions, alleging that union executives prioritize collecting levies while neglecting members’ needs. It added that the union is plagued by lawsuits, internal factionalism, and a leadership crisis that has undermined its credibility.
“Enough of NUPENG’s highhandedness. No union is bigger than the laws and constitution of Nigeria,” the statement concluded.
