The protracted leadership crisis in the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Branch of NUPENG has lingered into the 5th month of 2025, with the Union taking a swipe at the parent body for teleguiding and coercing a three-man Committee which sought to reconcile NUPENG leadership and the aggrieved members of the PTD faction, led by Comrade Lucky Osesua.
PTD had on Friday, 2nd May, 2025, exactly one week after responding to the three-man committee's recommendations, dated 31st March 2025, rejected the entire recommendations presented by the committee, headed by a former President of NUPENG, Comrade Samuel Dada, with a former General Secretary, Comrade Adamu Song, and Comrade Chief, Sir, Fyneface Omeme a former National Treasurer serving as members.
The leaders of the Tanker Drivers on Friday, May 2, 2025 in a jointly signed statement by Comrade Lucky Osesua, Comrade Dayyabu Garga, and Comrade (Dr) Humble Obinna Power faulted what they described as double standards which according to them contravened the ethics and principles of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) which is to be neutral and unbiased.
They vowed to fight the injustice with temperance, adding that they disapproved outright, the attempt to impose on the majority of PTD members a botched, discriminatory and non-inclusive National Delegates' Conference that had no legality in law and no iota of legitimacy in the moral sense.
The PTD statement reads in parts: “We were shocked, absolutely disappointed, and stricken with disbelief that Comrade Samuel Dada led three-man Committee could unimaginably dismiss the collective essence of PTD, capriciously behaved like an autocrat, disregarded the basic principle of Alternative Dispute Resolution which is to be neutral and unbiased. They did 100% opposite of what they told Comrade Lucky Osesua and his group that they would do to resolve the lingering crisis in the Union which is now one year and seven months old. In the words of the committee members, they assured us that there would be 'No Victor, No Vanquished'; and they added that 'You will win some and lose some, while the other party will win some and lose some'.
“There are several unanswered questions in the Committee's recommendations. In the first instance, what was the root cause of the crisis; was it identified and resolved? What led to the nullifications of the two previous elections conducted by NUPENG on June 30th 2022, and 31st October 2023? Did NUPENG comply with the judgements of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Yenagoa Division of 24th July, 2023, and that of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Abuja of 29th May 2024, to conduct an election that will be all-inclusive and non-discriminatory on any account, as ordered by the Court? Why was the Kangaroo election of 3rd July 2024 in Lagos conducted under watertight security and in a haste, contrary to the 3 months notification as enshrined in the PTD Bye-Laws?
“Since the history of the Union, this Williams Akporeha's leadership as NUPENG President, and Afolabi Olawale as General Secretary is the worst duo ever. They are the only NUPENG leadership that has harassed, arrested, and detained its members in different Police stations, took them to different Courts, and remanded them in both Keffi and Kuje Prisons for no justifiable reason. What a negative and terrible legacy! The members that NUPENG has a constitutional mandate to protect their rights and improve on their welfare, are the same members NUPENG is both prosecuting and persecuting; wonders shall never end!
“Similarly, the Committee was also seen to be thanking NUPENG leadership for "Resources made available, and other logistical support" to carry out the assignment given to them, which overtly contradicted their claims of being independent and unbiased in the exercise. We are also appalled to see the report of a three-man Committee being signed by four persons, the fourth individual Mr. Prosper Akrai being a staff of NUPENG working directly under the General Secretary of NUPENG Mr Afolabi Olawale. Part of the recommendations even urged Comrade Lucky Osesua and his team to apologize individually and collectively, in a written form to the Union’s leadership, and as well copy the three-man reconciliation committee for committing no crime; when the matter is still pending before the courts. This is absurd and ridiculous, to say the least.
“The Committee also didn't deem it necessary to involve any top leader or member of the PTD Branch (past or still serving), in the reconciliation process; this could be likened to "discussing the issues of medical doctors, and inviting only engineers; or shaving a man's head in his absence". They completely ignored the sobering voices in PTD calling for equity, fairness and justice. They also failed to demonstrate the requisite gravitas and the innate democratic accommodation of good leaders and elders as they hastily ignored everyone and purportedly legitimized what has been universally condemned as a flawed PTD National Delegates Conference, while also setting aside the positions of the Temple of Justice which abinitiio gave a patent direction.
“Despite various petitions emanating from different aggrieved parties and numerous litigations as a result injustice and other brazen infractions orchestrated by NUPENG's leadership, the Committee deliberately disregarded various voices of reason and worst still exonerated the same individuals who are the real architects of the crisis in the Union. It is also painful to see the Committee casting aside cumulative weight of evidence, hastened in contemptuous indifference to the truth, jettisoned what is right and just, flung away the constitutional pivot of our Union which is anchored on equity, justice, and fairness doctrine, and more worrisome, violating the principles of Alternative Dispute Resolution. This is indeed sad and very disappointing.
“We are dismayed, sickened and embarrassed that there is a desperate attempt to further destabilise PTD and render the Union inconsequential in the scheme of things. Let there be no doubt about our resolve to challenge this grave injustice at the Temple of Justice, the case having been adjourned 'sine dine' to the 20th of May 2025, for either a report of settlement or continuation of litigation. Since settlement has failed, we are heading back to the Court until we get justice and freedom from our oppressors.
“The Committee spoke so much on the supremacy of the Union's constitution, but they failed to address the gross violation of the same constitution by the General Secretary of NUPENG, Mr. Afolabi Olawale who abandoned both the provisions of the PTD Branch Bye-Laws and the NUPENG Constitution regarding electoral matters, but created electoral guidelines that is alien and obnoxious to both the PTD Bye-laws, and NUPENG Constitution in order to disenfranchise some eligible Comrades who were not his anointed candidates, and of course this was the very genesis of the crisis in the Union.
“We are fully persuaded that there is a well planned, premeditated attempt to hand over PTD to fifth columnists whose mission is to "reap where they did not sow"; whose purpose is shrouded in an ultimate goal that appears to be an attempt to weaken our Branch, extort and milk us dry; and serve the interests of a selected few who are desperate, mindless and tactless. Their mode of operation is "Divide and Rule". As leaders of good conscience, we would resist every form of injustice and wickedness done to us, including crippling the personal businesses of our members, and unlawful suspensions, for almost two years despite the Court judgement of May 29th 2024 which nullified both elections conducted in Ibadan and Abuja on the 31st of October 2023.
“NUPENG leadership as currently constituted is obviously playing a very dangerous pattern of politics to elbow out the bonafide members and key leaders of PTD from the high table at the Union’s conclave. Let us note here that PTD is "the goose that lays the golden eggs". It is most unfortunate that these same oppressors have pushed out all notable and dedicated veterans of the Branch; they're still battling with Comrade Lucky Osesua and his followers, they are now targeting to push out the major stakeholders of the PTD family, in order to have absolute control of the PTD Branch; this will not stand and we hope that NUPENG leadership understands what it means to be sitting on a timed nuclear bomb.
“We the esteemed leaders of PTD are warning that if these recommendations are not urgently reviewed, reversed, and reconsidered, it will definitely rubbish the reputation and integrity of the highly respected members of the NUPENG Elders Consultative Forum from where the reconciliation committee was set up. We shall therefore continue this struggle until the wrongs are rectified, and until justice eventually prevails. We also use this valid opportunity to appeal to all our members in all the four Zones of PTD in Nigeria to remain calm, peaceful, and law abiding, and we truly assure them that we won't disappoint or fail them,” PTD noted.
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