NUPENG Expels 61 Members over Stealing of Petroleum Products, Pipeline

VandalismLeaders of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) a branch of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has expelled sixty-one of its members over offences ranging from professional misconducts and fraudulent activities ranging from stealing of petroleum products, pipeline vandalism, product adulteration, petroleum products’ theft and illegal bunkering.

In a statement sent to nigeriamaritime360.com at the weekend, National Chairman of PTD, Comrade Salimon Akanni Oladiti said that those 61 members sanctioned will not be employed any longer in the industry because they pose danger to the progress of the union.

The PTD Chairman also condemned a common habit among tanker drivers whereby they removed speedometers from the dashboard of their truck in order not to know their actual speed.

He stated this at the beginning of the National Safety Training Programme, a five-day programme which held between Monday Oct 22 to Friday Oct. 26, 2018 in Jibowu Lagos, saying that such training of members was a very critical aspect of the union’s goals and objectives.

The programme with the theme: ‘National Safety Training for all Tanker Drivers on Steering’ organized by the union to instill discipline, put a check to accidents on highways and save innocent lives.

Oladiti said the Union was aiming at zero tanker accident in the country and urged the drivers to take the advantages of the training, noting that the training would bring changes in their lives and to other road users.

“When you have an opportunity like this training, you have to make use of it. If you can train yourself again, you can achieve more in life. I am happy to see that today, the training and retraining organized by this branch of NUPENG had been able to impact discipline in tanker drivers, and to reduce accident to barest minimum taking into cognizance minimum safety standards”.

Though he did not list their names, Comrade Oladiti also took time to expose 61 members of the Union who had been expelled due to misconducts.

“The development is imperative as the union will not want to be tagged as one involved in economic sabotage.

“The offences vary from stealing of petroleum products, pipeline vandalism, product adulteration, petroleum products’ theft and illegal bunkering”, Oladiti said.

He added that others vices included hijack of truck, manhole manipulation, constant shortage, sales of petroleum product and replacing with bad ones.

He said the training which started three years ago had passed the test of time and equally led to reduction in accidents.

Mr. Oladiti said the union had been constantly educating its members on how their contemporaries in developed countries operated.

He said that the Union would also ensure the use of modern devices in monitoring members’ activities while on road, saying though, not a new method in most developed countries.

He commended FRSC for its involvement and support in the training since inception of the programme.

The PTD National Chairman further urged members to always be professional in their activities and ensure that their quota contributed positively to national development.