Abuja — Factional National Chairman of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) yesterday criticised the parent body for compelling every unit in the branch to pay N400,000 before participating in educational seminar which held in Ibadan between July 17 and 18, 2024.
Lucky Osesua and his deputy, Dayyabu Garga, and the National Secretary, Obinna Power, as well as others within the fold of the PTD branch of NUPENG flayed the parent body for forcing every unit in the branch to pay the amount.
Osesua, Garga and Obinna repudiated NUPENG leaders for exhibiting extortionist tendencies by introducing what they termed needless educational seminar at a time when the citizens were faced with an austere economy.
They urged stakeholders in the oil and gas sector, including the federal government of Nigeria to recognise them as the duly-elected executives of PTD.
The trio made these remarks in a jointly signed statement at the weekend, wherein they argued that the executives, which emerged at the National Delegates Conference in Abuja on Thursday, July 4, 2024, which is the venue recognised for the Branch's convention, remained the authentic body.
PTD said the "illegal leadership" that emerged from a Kangaroo election in Lagos was desperate to force stakeholders into accepting it.
The PTD executive further stated that the leadership which the Lagos election purportedly produced on Wednesday, July 3, 2024 could not avail itself legitimacy by serially violating the sanctity of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Bayelsa and Abuja Divisions and other legal methods of conducting national delegates conference.
The oil and gas union again noted that the Lagos election should be nullified, having flagrantly violated the guidelines laid down by the NICN on Wednesday, May 29, 2024.
It stressed that the leadership legitimacy should be handed to the Osesua-led faction, which it said followed due process and electoral guidelines in the interest of the 'impoverished' members of the PTD that cut across the four zones in the country.
"The vicious circle of extortion which has caused PTD members to be paupers and beggars despite their commitment to hard work and national socio-economic growth must stop forthwith.
" Telling every unit in the PTD branch to pay N400,000 for a needless educational seminar is not only an act of extortion but a deliberate attempt to enslave our members more and make life miserable for them.
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"Also, for the price we owe posterity, we truly believe in the rule of law in entrenching our legitimacy as duly elected national executives of PTD, therefore we won't engage in any conduct that is unacceptable before the law.
"We also strongly rely on the strength of the unbiased position of the Court of competent jurisdiction on this matter, and have no doubt absolutely that justice will never elude us.
"Contrary to the orders laid down by NICN Abuja, our members were intimidated, violated, harassed, disenfranchised and compelled to make choices against their wishes through adoption of option A-4.
"The process was also discriminatory, not all-inclusive, factions were not reconciled, queries, suspension letters etc were not revoked; the electoral and caretaker committees were not properly constituted as ordered by NICN Abuja.
"It is obvious that the outcome of Lagos Delegates Conference did not reflect the wishes and support of the majority and this outright gave legitimacy to the Abuja Delegates Conference where Lucky Osesua and his team emerged," the group said.
For the umpteenth time, it said that the PTD must be allowed to breathe such that its members could peacefully and conveniently be proud and better for what they are doing.
" The slave-master relationship needs to be obliterated in the nick of time. PTD is in dire need of employee-centric leadership that prioritises the wellbeing and support of their members, both personally and professionally," the group added.
