The Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) workers has threatened to begin a sudden nationwide strike.
The strike is to protest the failure of the Federal Government to fix 21 selected highways based on the agreement reached by stakeholders.
The PTD also stated that they had discovered that senior government officials were currently diverting the N621bn provided by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) for the rehabilitation of the identified federal highways.
PTD National Chairman, Salmon Oladiti, told journalists in Abuja that the union was on the brink of strike action in September last year but was prevailed upon by NNPC after the oil firm and the Federal Executive Council approved the N621bn for the rehabilitation of the road.
He said NNPC called the leadership of the union for two separate meetings held on October 10, 2021, in Ibadan and October 12, 2021, in Abuja.
He said, “These two meetings resulted in the signing of a communique indicating the readiness and willingness of NNPC to finance the rehabilitation of 21 critical roads at an estimated sum of N621bn through road infrastructure tax credit scheme.
“Based on this communique, we suspended the intended industrial action but with a very clear warning, that should the spirit and letter of the agreement are not fully implemented with a focus on those jointly identified critical roads, the union will not hesitate to resume the intended actions without further warning.
“To the delight of all of us, the issue was tabled before the Federal Executive Council and was expressly approved within two weeks as agreed.”
Olabisi added, “Unfortunately, and to our greatest shock, we heard it from very reliable sources that some vultures in the garbs of being state governments, officials of Ministry of Works and Housing and politicians are already depleting these funds and misappropriating them on roads and projects not intended in the agreement as approved by the Federal Executive Council.
“This is an open day robbery, but we are assuring all and sundry that our union will go to all lengths to expose these unscrupulous individuals.
“Every kobo of the approved fund must be accounted for and we must see and broadcast the pre and post-rehabilitation of all the identified 21 federal roads to the whole nation.
“Tax payers’ money must be accounted for. We urge every patriotic Nigerian to rise and join us in this struggle, this is not a fight for NUPENG alone, it is our collective fight.”
