Joseph Bakare
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has cautioned against polarization of the oil industry transportation sector as it issued a statement urging other stakeholders in the oil industry not to accord recognition to some petroleum marketers under the Association of Distributors and Transporters of Petroleum Products (ADITOP).
President and General Secretary of NUPENG, Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale, in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, said the new Association it was learnt, has fixed Thursday for a gathering of its members in Abuja to discuss as part of its agenda, the challenges of truck owners and oil marketers in the down stream sector.
The NUPENG however warned the general public, particularly players in the oil sector to be wary of the new group, insisting that only the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, (IPMAN), Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) as well as Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) are legitimate Associations known to it.
It further maintained that only NUPENG and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) are the two umbrella bodies for oil and gas workers in Nigeria known to law.
“The general public and government institutions are hereby warned and strongly advised to be very wary of these individuals who are desperately seeking ways and means to continue to exploit Nigerians and collecting rents in other manners since the current administration removed subsidy from petroleum products.
“The leadership of our great union recognises NARTO as the legitimate umbrella body of transporters in the Nigerian oil and gas industry and employers of Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTD) of which our union has collective bargaining agreement with on behalf of petroleum tankers drivers.
“We also recognise IPMAN, MEMAN as well as DAPPMAN as legitimate marketers of oil and gas products. These are associations of marketers that are well known and respected in the downstream sector of the Nigeria oil and gas industry,” NUPENG stated.
It stressed that there is also no ambiguity in the fact that the Nigeria labour laws only recognise NUPENG) and PENGASSAN as the umbrella bodies for oil and gas workers in Nigeria.
“These are the two organisations that represent and protect the job interests of the Nigeria oil and gas workers including petroleum tanker drivers as prescribed in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” NUPENG added.
The Union implored all well-meaning Nigerians and government officials to urgently disregard any invitation from the new association.