PTD-NUPENG threatens strike over IGP team’s seizure of loaded trucks

The National Secretariat of the Petroleum Tankers Drivers Branch of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, PTD- NUPENG, has issued a 2-week strike warning to the Nigerian government.

In a statement issued by the National Chairman of the Union, Augustine Egbon on Thursday and made available to Newspot in Abuja, PTD- NUPENG accused the Inspector General of Police, IGP team of seizing members’ loaded trucks.

Egon said the development has now warranted calls by the union on its members to withdraw their trucks from petrol depots.

He accused the Police IGP’s Task Force of excessive harassment despite the scarcity of fuel at retail outlets across the country, stressing that their strike would paralyse the loading of petroleum products and ultimately result in scarcity at retail outlets.

The Union called on the IGP, Michael Egbetokun to intervene before the ultimatum lapsed, failure of which they insist, members will down tools.

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Recently, PTD-NUPENG at its NE.C meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, urged the IGP to curb the high-handedness of its task force on petroleum products, which impounds tankers on federal highways.

The Union lamented that two fully loaded trucks with Automotive Gas Oil ( AGO) were impounded by the Task Force between July and August in Funtua, Katsina State and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and haven’t been released despite documentary evidence of depots where products were loaded

The statement said: “We have genuine certification by the statutory regulatory agencies, the IGP office has ignored and refused to release the trucks.

“The truck with registration number, GRY 155XA loaded 49,000 litres of AGO at Prudent Energy Limited in Oghara, Delta State. The destination was Sokoto but it was impounded in Funtua, Katsina State on July 31, 2024.

“The second truck with registration number, TWD272XA, with 45,000 litres of AGO loaded the products at Integrated Oil & Gas in Apapa, Lagos. Its destination was Yobe State before it was impounded in August in Abuja.

“Despite the fact that samples of the products from the two trucks were certified by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Products Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, the office of the Inspector General of Police Task Force team has remained adamant and it has refused to release the loaded trucks.

We have presented authentic documents to the Police that the products were genuine at the point of loading. The IGP office has continued to ignore us.

“At our last NEC meeting, we issued a deadline to them, demanding for the release of the impounded trucks and a stoppage to the continued harassment of our members”