SOME aggrieved members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers union (PTD) have raised alarm over alleged continued harassment, intimidation and maltreatment of its selected members by the General Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas worker (NUPENG), in connivance with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) by trying to manipulate their electoral agreements, by-laws and incite public disorder.
The tanker driver’s union also alleged that top officials of NUPENG and the Police were bent on subverting the judgment of the National Industrial Courts (NIC) in Bayelsa State division and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
In a petition to the Minister of Police Affairs and copied all relevant agencies, including the Presidency, the aggrieved PTD members lamented alleged desperate moves by a faction to subvert and manipulate the forthcoming election in their favour, using the Police, calling on the minister and other relevant agencies to help ensure that justice prevail.
In the petition, signed by Ikechukwu Okpalaelechi of the Indepth Legal Consults, the petitioners stated that before the delegates conference in 2022, one Godwin Ewhrudjakpor, a member of PTD, Warri Zone in Delta State, challenged the membership of Lucky Osesua in PTD, who participated and won the election as the National Chairman of PTD-Extraction during the delegates conference in June same year at Ibadan.
They stated that in delivering the judgment, the NIC, among others, affirmed that Osesua was a member of PTD, yet it nullified the election and dissolved the National Executive Council of PTD, predicated on the said election.
The court ruled that the election was in breach of PTD 2019 by-laws and ordered NUPENG to first, set up a caretaker committee and an electoral committee to conduct an election into the various national offices of the PTD within four months from the date of judgment.
The court further ruled that such an electoral committee must be in line with the relevant provisions of the PTD by-law of 2019.
The petitioners averred that by the constitution of NUPENG, the next most important instrument that governs the leadership of the body is its by-laws of 2019, which states that in the event of the removal of a national officer, the next officer in rank to the removed officer shall act on his behalf or the PTD branch working committee on behalf of the branch executive committee shall co-opt a credible person in his place.
This rule, the stated stated, was never followed, despite that not all the branch working committee and branch executive committee members were removed from office.
“The rule was never followed, the judgement was never obeyed; hence trouble started.
“In the build up to the election, as ordered by the court, the general secretary and other became both the head of the caretaker committee and electoral committee, thereby manipulating the process to suit the dictates of an “acclaimed godfather” and those that claim to own PTD, and as such, denied and disenfranchised Osesua and others under “obnoxious election guidelines, which stops them from contesting or participating in the election.”
The petitioners also alleged that one Otunba Saliman Oladiti, the immediate past national chairman of PTD, was mainly responsible for inciting the problem in the union based on his inordinate ambition to take over the whole of the property and leadership structure of PTD, to the detriment of its members.
“While this was happening, NUPENG filed a matter at the NIC, Abuja, asking the court for interpretation of certain sections of their constitution and rules of the PTD by-laws. On May 29, 2024, the court nullified both elections, ordering a fresh election to be conducted within four months from the date of the judgment, with strict compliance with and within the electoral rules and procedures provided in PTD by laws.
“However, the so-called godfather and his cohorts, bent on scuttling court orders by using the Police to harass, intimidate and hound Osesua and his supporters, stopped all their trucks from loading petroleum products and for the past nine months, they have denied them their entitlements and blocked their businesses, which is a crime against humanity.
“We are, therefore, appealing that you use your good offices to intervene and bring justice, unity and harmony to PTD, and also investigate the matter and see the level of involvement of security agencies in aiding, harassing and intimidating Osesua and his supporters.”
