The Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), Lagos Zone, a branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), has described the protest at the Ejigbo NNPC Depot in Lagos last Thursday, as a stage-managed action aimed at fulfilling a mischievous purpose by the organisers.
The protesters were said to have violently prevented the caretaker committee members appointed by the PTD-NUPENG Lagos Zone to run the affairs of Ejigbo NNPC depot from carrying out their legitimate duties on Thursday.
PTD-NUPENG Lagos zone noted that the protesters in the first instance are not members, therefore, they have no moral justification to stage a protest and make frivolous allegations against the zonal chairman, Alhaji Saheed Gbolahan Adigun, who was not even at Ejigbo depot on the day of the said protest.
While reacting to allegations made against Adigun, as contained in a statement jointly signed by Comrade Lucky Osesua and Comrade Dayyabu Yusuf Garga, copies of which were made available to journalists last Friday, PTD, Lagos Zone, in a statement signed by PTD Lagos Zonal Secretary, Comrade Adekunle Akinlaja, noted that all allegations made by the rebellious group are baseless and face-saving mechanism from a fruitless outing called protest.
The statement reads in parts:”That is their style of causing unnecessary panic among stakeholders in the Nigerian petroleum sector and that is what they are trying to bring to NNPC Ejigbo Satellite Depot in Lagos zone.
“As a law abiding union, we have reported all the matters to the appropriate authorities, in due time, the law will take its course,” the statement read.
The union, however, urged members to continue to go about their normal activities without fear of intimidation from any quarter, while assuring them that their welfare will remain topmost priority at all time.
READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
