A leader in Kaduna Zone of Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) Comrade (Alhaji) Tajudeen Abubakar has accused the leadership of the parent body of consistently acting in contrary to orders of the Court, adding that such flagrant disobedience will spell doom for the organization.
Abubakar said it was improper for the General Secretary of NUPENG, Afolabi Olawale to have allowed his surrogates in the factional PTD to illegally commence collection of dues and levies at the Dangote refinery in Lagos which literally contravened the restraining orders of the court which had earlier ruled that all parties must maintain status quo pending final ruling of the arbiter.
In a statement he issued in Kaduna Tuesday morning, Abubakar said:
“It is pertinent to note that no higher Court in Nigeria has set aside the restraining order of the National Industrial Court. Neither has the execution of the judgments been stayed or varied either by the Federal High Court or the Court of Appeal. Therefore, since the judgments are valid and subsisting, they are binding on all parties including NUPENG, its General Secretary Afolabi Olawale, etc. We also expected the illegitimate executives of PTD which emerged in a kangaroo election at the University of Ibadan auditorium on Tuesday, October 31, 2023 to be guided by the court rulings too, to avoid any legal infractions.
“Augustine Egbon in his heart as a Christian knows that Comrade Lucky Osesua, Dayyabu Garga, Humble Power Obinna, Olabisi Akinlolu etc are the legitimate and acceptable leadership of the PTD who had their delegates conference in Abuja on Tuesday, October 31, 2023 according to PTD’s known convention and practice.
“In view of the foregoing, it is crystal clear that the collection of union dues and levies between seventy thousand naira (N70,000) to seventy-five thousand naira (N75,000) from Tanker Drivers who are lifting petroleum products at the Dangote refinery despite restraining Court order is deliberately illegal and contemptuous.
“Such actions can not be justified in a democratic society which claims to operate under the rule of law, on behalf of the elders of the union, I am compelled to call on the leaders of our parent body, NUPENG to immediately discard and reverse the scandalous and illegal PTD unit planted at the Dangote refinery in Lagos. We also call on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and other anti-graft agencies, including Police, DSS to look into the financial records of PTD in that unit and endeavor to expose and prosecute anyone found wanting.
“However, if the illegal decisions taken by NUPENG are not reversed, we call on the judiciary to take urgent steps to prevent NUPENG from further usurping its constitutional functions. This illegality will apparently spell doom for NUPENG especially its General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale who is already facing multiple contempt proceedings at the court of competent jurisdiction.
“On this note, while we rely on the judiciary for justice, we also urge all Tanker Drivers across Nigeria to remain committed, disciplined and law abiding as they traverse the length and breadth of Nigeria in the lifting and distribution of petroleum products, just as we assure them of victory in no distant time.”
