The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and its Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch ( PTD) have denied media reports of threats to embark on a nationwide strike over purported leadership tussles in the Union.
Reacting to the report, the National Chairman of the PTD Branch of NUPENG, Augustine Egbon, in a statement issued Monday, attributed the news item to those bent on creating panic in the supply chain of Petroleum Products distribution in the country.
He noted that there was no division within its rank and there was no need for any form of protest.
Egbon noted, ” The leadership of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) wishes to alert the general public of the antics of some desperate and mischievous individuals to cause unfounded and dangerous panic in the supply chain of Petroleum Products distribution in the country through spreading of fake and false news items.
“The Petroleum Tanker Drivers are not embarking on any form of protest and we are determined to continue our services to the nation and wholeheartedly support the efforts of the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to put our economy on the right track for the good of all of us.”
“We wish to further reiterate the fact that there is no division in our Union and the Branch of Petroleum Tanker Drivers. Our members are fully committed and United in our collective struggles as we believe that Workers United, can never be defeated.”
Egbon called on the general public to ignore the mischief makers while urging the security agencies to fully investigate the panic-creating news items as citizens are already going through enough tough times.
Similarly, the General Secretary of NUPENG, Olawale Afolabi, while reacting to the media reports in a statement issued Monday, declared that there was no plan whatsoever to embark on any protest.
He maintained that there was no division in the Union as some desperate individuals and their sponsors want to project.
The NUPENG General Secretary noted that the motive of those behind the press statement was to create panic in the public space and cause artificial scarcity of petroleum products.
The Union further tasked security agencies to fish out those behind the news item which it noted was very capable of creating social upheaval and security concerns.
Afolabi said: “There is no plan whatsoever by the Petroleum Tanker Drivers to embark on any protest as there is no division in the Union as some desperate individuals and their sponsors want to project. The news item is false and unfounded.”
“This press release is compelled in view of the attention of the Leadership of both the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers and the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch of the Union that was drawn to this very misleading, mischievous and unfounded online news of the purported protest of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers across the Country and we are deeply compelled to quickly release this Press Statement to avert any form of panic, that the fake news item is false, unfounded and should be ignored.
“It is intended to create panic in the public and cause artificial scarcity by these desperate individuals.”
Afolabi added that all the Petroleum Tanker Drivers are fully committed to the national services of effective and efficient distribution of Petroleum Products across the country.
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has reported that a joint operation involving Nigerian military troops and Department of State Services (DSS) operatives resulted in the elimination of 52 terrorists and the apprehension of a leader of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Bauchi State.
The ISWAP leader was captured in a sting operation at Tarum, a village outside Bauchi Metropolis, as disclosed by Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, the Director of Defence Media Operations, in a statement on Friday.
While the DHQ did not disclose the name of the arrested ISWAP leader, it revealed that the individual held a significant role in the North Central and North West zones.
The military high command emphasized that targeting terrorist leadership is crucial in ensuring the safety and security of citizens, with ongoing operations consistently diminishing the fighting force and capacity of these groups.
Maj.-Gen. Buba noted that Nigerian Air Force airstrikes played a key role in destroying terrorist leaders’ enclaves in the North West and North Central zones in the past week.
The week’s operations resulted in the neutralization of 52 terrorists, the arrest of 204 individuals associated with terrorism, and the rescue of 234 kidnapped hostages. Additionally, in the South-South zone, troops recovered stolen crude oil and illegal refined products, destroyed various equipment and sites used for illegal activities, and seized a substantial amount of weapons, ammunition, vehicles, and other items associated with criminal operations.
Solomon Arase, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, has expressed distress regarding the escalating violence against security personnel, particularly police officers, in the South East region.
The former Inspector General of Police highlighted the growing number of police officers’ wives becoming widows due to attacks by gunmen in the area. In a statement by Ikechukwu Ani, Head of Press and Public Relations, Arase conveyed his apprehension during a courtesy visit by leaders of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter, in Abuja.
Arase emphasized that it’s essential to communicate to the assailants that the police are not their adversaries and have committed no wrongdoing. He lamented the loss of numerous serving officers in the South East, urging the perpetrators to recognize the police as friends and cease making widows out of officers’ wives, who are essentially their sisters.
Furthermore, Arase assured that the Commission has addressed the perceived marginalization of the South East in police representation nationwide.
Elder Onwu Arua, the leader of the Ohanaeze delegation, expressed concern about the lack of interest among people in the South East regarding the ongoing police recruitment exercise. He urged the Police Service Commission to devise strategies to address this issue.
On Friday, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) alleged that Governor Peter Mba was facing pressure from “Aso Rock” to discredit the Supreme Court ahead of the judgment on its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, scheduled for December 15. IPOB based this claim on Mba’s characterization of the group as a proscribed organization, a statement he made after visiting President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
IPOB cautioned the governor against making a “costly mistake” by using the group’s name to gain favor from Tinubu’s administration. In a statement by Powerful, a spokesperson for IPOB, it was emphasized that Mba’s comments were deemed reckless and unguarded. The statement alleged that Mba, under pressure from the federal government, accused IPOB of being responsible for the sit-at-home protest and insecurity in the Southeast.
The statement pointed out that Mba had previously condemned Simon Ekpa, who was associated with the enforcement of the Monday sit-at-home. IPOB expressed skepticism about the governor’s motives and suggested that his statements were influenced by the Tinubu administration.
IPOB urged the public to dismiss the governor’s remarks, describing him as a “cowardly governor” making unfounded accusations. The statement reminded Mba that IPOB is not easily intimidated and warned against attempting to use the group’s name for political advantage.
The statement concluded by calling on the Nigerian Supreme Court Justices not to succumb to blackmail, urging the release of Nnamdi Kanu, who was acquitted by the Court of Appeal. IPOB reiterated its commitment to the cause of self-determination and emphasized that the movement would not yield to blackmail or pressure.
