The Petroleum Tanker Drivers branch of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, (PTD-NUPENG) has threatened a strike action over what it described as illegal activities and high-handedness of security agents.
National Chairman of PTD-NUPENG, Comrade Lucky Osesua, alleged that men of the task force burnt two trucks conveying black oil after the truck drivers were falsely accused of transporting crude oil.
Osesua gave the plate numbers of the trucks as EFR 770 XA and AFZ 351 ZY. He said each of the vehicles were conveying 40,000 liters of black oil to Bob & Sea Depot, Koko in Delta State.
According to him, the drivers were polite in their response and presented all necessary documents to the task force personnel adding that the officers, however, ignored the documents, rebuffed appeals, and burnt the trucks.
The PTD chairman said, “The drivers presented waybills, NUPENG receipts, and quality control documents. But the military men still insisted that they carried crude oil. They drove the two trucks away and burnt them between Ahoada and Elele in Rivers State on Tuesday night.
“Without investigation, without reaching out to the refinery, where the drivers mentioned that they lifted the black oil, the soldiers burnt down the trucks in less than five hours.”
Osesua said the documents were signed by the Manager, Walter Smith Refinery and Petrochemical, Charles Okon, indicating where the products were loaded.
He said a similar decision to stop loading nationwide would be taken by Monday, except damages incurred as a result of the high-handedness of the task force were addressed.
“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,” the PTD chairman stated.
He added, “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.”
Osesua further hinted that in a desperate move to clean up their actions, the soldiers mobilised those who pick scraps to the sight of the burnt trucks.
