THE Petroleum Tanker Drivers branch of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (PTD-NUPENG) has threatened to strike over “illegal activities and high-handedness of security agents, particularly the military task force operating in the union’s Port Harcourt zone.”
Comrade Lucky Osesua, National Chairman of PTD-NUPENG, told reporters in Abuja yesterday that men from the task force burned two trucks carrying HPFO, also known as black oil, on Tuesday night after falsely accusing the truck drivers of transporting crude oil.
According to Osesua, the trucks that lifted the black oil on Monday and Tuesday at a modular refinery (Walter Smith Refinery and Petrochemical) in Ibigwe, Imo State, were intercepted between Ahoada and Elele in Rivers State.
Osesua, who identified the trucks as EFR 770 XA and AFZ 351 ZY, stated that they were transporting 40,000 liters each to Bob and Sea Depot in Koko Delta State.
He stated that the drivers responded politely and presented all necessary documents to task force personnel. He went on to say that the officers, on the other hand, ignored the documents, rejected appeals, and burned the trucks.
“The drivers presented waybills, NUPENG receipts, and quality control documents,” said the PTD-National Chairman, who displayed the documents to reporters. However, the military personnel insisted that they were transporting crude oil! On Tuesday night, they drove the two trucks away and burned them between Ahoada and Elele in Rivers State.
“Without investigation, without reaching out to the refinery, where the drivers said they lifted the black oil, the soldiers burnt down the trucks, in less than five hours.”
Osesua, who also presented documents signed by Charles Okon, the refinery manager of Walter Smith Refinery and Petrochemical, to journalists, stated that the union has decided to stop lifting products at its Port Harcourt zone.
He stated that a similar decision to halt loading nationwide would be made by Monday, with the exception of damages incurred as a result of the task force’s arrogance.
He added: “Enough is enough about the high-handedness of our security agents. They should stop demonising our union and persecuting our men who are doing their normal business.
“We expect that in this modern world, trained security agents should be able to identify black oil, as against crude oil. We should not be at the receiving end of their ignorance.”
