By Etuka Sunday
The President, National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Mr Igwe Achese yesterday said that the Union was not on strike over the current fuel scarcity in the country as being rumoured.
Achese spoke during an interactive session at the Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTD) Delegate Conference in Abuja said, “NUPENG is not on strike and we will continue to sustain the activities the way we are asked to do and ensure the flow of products.
“As for current ongoing scarcity, it has nothing to do with neither NUPENG nor Nigeria Independent Petroleum Company (NIPCO) and I want to beg Nigerians to go about their normal duties,” he said.
Also speaking, the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr Osita Chidoka disclosed that Dongote Group of Company accounts for 15 per cent death on Nigerian Roads.
This he attributed to over speeding and recklessness of the truck drivers therefore advocated for retraining of drivers especially on new technologies that come with modern cars.
Chidoka further disclosed that ‘Young Shall Grow’ Transport Limited accounts for 30 deaths every month but has been reduced recently due to persistent enforcement of safety rules.
The Corps Marshal said all trucks must be properly marked or light up to avoid unnecessary crashes with other smaller vehicles.
He said ECOWAS was trying to enforce it therefore very soon trucks that are not properly marked would not be allowed to cross the boarders.
According to him, certification of licence is on to get new date of drivers, adding that biometric license would be possible when the accurate data of vehicles in Nigeria are gotten.
He said speed metre would be enforced on vehicles to check over speeding by controlling the drivers on the moderate speed they should run. He said most of the drivers parading themselves as professional drivers use fake drivers’ licence.
Also speaking, the National President of Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), Comrade Timothy Ogbu said the conference was apt to discuss issues that concern the Union.
He commended the leadership resilience of the Union and the drivers, saying that without PTD, there would be no movement of petroleum products from the depots to where they are needed.
