The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has reiterated the commitment of its leadership in looking out for its affiliates, including the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), irrespective of the challenges the union faces.
National President of NUPENG, William Akporeha, in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja, said NUPENG will, however, not be cowed by some elements trying to create issues where there are none.
The NUPENG president explained that the comment by the General Secretary of the union, Afolabi Olawale, where he described some persons as ‘public goats’ in a television programme, was misconstrued.
He said Olawale was only trying to highlight the neglect of tanker drivers and their demands and wondered why persons facing criminal charges would want to twist the truth.
Aporeha asked the general public to ignore what he tagged ‘sensational reports’ being peddled by a section of the media, in support of non-recognised group of persons, who he said are bent on demeaning the majority by promoting untrue, concerted and manipulated stories to gain public sympathy.
He noted that NUPENG’s relationship with the Augustine Egbon-led PTD leadership remains intact as it is the only recognised leadership with the Trade Unions Secretariat at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Meanwhile, PTD, under the leadership of Comrades Lucky Osesua and Dayyabu Garga had, in a statement titled, ‘Stop calling us public goats,’ accused NUPENG’s General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, of the name-calling.
The statement read, “It was a total display of shame to see Afolabi Olawale, the General Secretary of a union like NUPENG, describe those he claimed to have organised in the informal sector of the union, as public goats.
“He brazenly made the comment without restraint because he is used to it. He loves using demeaning phrases and terms anytime he talks about PTD. He loves calling us illiterate people, scavengers, etc.
“In the same interview, he even said nobody takes care of tanker drivers because most of their employers are not properly structured. Then as chief organiser himself, it shows he has failed in his core and statutory responsibilities if in 2024, PTD members are still not well structured so much that their employers will find it difficult to take care of drivers’ well-being and welfare. Then it will be fair to conclude that Afolabi is a total misfit, a neophyte occupying the seat of General Secretary of NUPENG.
“Unfortunately, he made the disrespectful remarks openly to the surprise of the whole world while also exposing his own incompetence, failure, arrogance, lack of honour and integrity.
“The question-and-answer session on TVC was an opportunity for him to prove himself as an upright leader, but his many nauseating gaffes, snafus, unintelligible mumbo jumbo and meaningless reactions extremely showed that he is a wrong man for the job of NUPENG General Secretary.
“We, therefore, admonish him to retract the insults passed on us and failure to do so will further strip him of any honour left in him and for the price he owes history, he must make the necessary amends in the interest of NUPENG and trade unionism as a whole.
“As we have said before, Afolabi Olawale cannot try to take the credit as if the health insurance scheme, which he is currently hyping, was his brainchild. What he is currently championing lacks acceptability, consultation, education and due process. He and his ilk are only using coercive force to lure our members into it, which is against the good intent of the health insurance scheme.”
“Our reaction underscores the lack of attraction in the NUPENG programmes and policies which ostensibly lack direction, sincerity and purpose as it is being orchestrated by the current leadership under Afolabi Olawale (General Secretary) and Williams Akporeha (President).
“We, therefore, urge our members to take informed decisions about their welfare, health, life, wellbeing and livelihoods and never allow anyone to tricklishly distort their destinies through thoughtless, fishy, self-imposed and questionable scheme.
“We also take this opportunity to inform all PTD members across board that we are very close to judicial victory whereby things will be done by a constitutionally-recognised and legitimate leadership of Comrade Lucky Osesua and Comrade Dayyabu Garga through the grace of God Almighty and the support of all our members and other relevant stakeholders.”
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