Petroleum Tanker Drivers Laud FG’s Efforts to Fix Bad Roads Nationwide

•Want speedy movement of contractors to site 

•Task IGP on excesses of police task team

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch (PTD) Branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) yesterday highlighted the efforts of the federal government to ensure ‘motorable’ federal highways across the country.

The organisation  which gave the commendation as part of its resolutions  at the end of its National Executive Committee ( NEC)  meeting held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, applauded what it termed efforts by the government to ensure stability in supply of petroleum products.

A communique signed by National Chairman and National Secretary of the union, Augustine Egbon and Oluchi Chinagorom, respectively noted that this was sequel to the recent  approval of 13 roads projects across the country by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at the end of its meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu.

Among the federal roads listed were the rehabilitation of Enugu-Port Harcourt,  the Ore-Ondo-Akure Road, the 300km Benin-Akure-Ilesha, rehabilitation of Aba-Owerri, Mubi-Maiduguri road section, among others.

The PTD-NUPENG noted that the rehabilitation of the roads would go a long way to ensure safety of its members  on the highways and ensure uninterrupted supply of petroleum products from the depots to the retail outlets.

“We recall that our agitations and several interventions to ensure that the last administration put the federal highways in good shape only  fell on deaf ears. The  effects of the bad shape of the highways were accidents, leading to  loss of lives of our members and their trucks, their only  means of livelihood.

“We can’t but express our satisfaction that the present administration is already taking positive steps to meet some of our grievances. We  implore the Federal Ministry of Works to ensure that the contractors move to site, timely and  give Nigerians the value for the public funds being spent by the federal government to put the roads in good shape,” the communiqué said.

The Union however appealed to the federal government to equally give consideration to the  rehabilitation of the Calabar-Itu Federal Highway, noting that the present deplorable condition of the road is a big hindrance to movement of petroleum tankers.

The NEC of the PTD- NUPENG equally commended recent initiative to ensure stability in the supply of petroleum products.

“Lifting of products at the depots has increased substantially and it is a big relief for our members. The National chairman appeals to the federal government  to live up to its assurance to revive the nation four refineries to function optimally,” he added.

The PTD- NUPENG expressed concern over what it described as the high-handedness of a Task Force put in place by the office of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, aimed at preventing movement of adulterated petroleum products.

 “We wish to bring to the attention of the IGP that his men have been impounding petroleum tankers, almost indiscriminately even when the drivers provide incontrovertible evidence of the genuine source of such products and loading depots.

“A good example is the recent incident on Funtua- Kaduna road. For almost two months now, the IGP Task Force has not released the tanker even when it has been discovered that the product being conveyed was not adulterated. We are appealing to the office of the IGP to ensure the release of the tanker,” it added.

The union in its resolutions also passed vote of confidence in its national officers. The communique declared that it was satisfied with the recent efforts by the national secretariat in collaboration with units and zonal officers to guarantee decent living wage for  members.

It urged the national executive to sustain its initiative  on training and  re-training of the truck drivers.