Concerned tanker drivers from different parts of the country have raised the alarm over public statements attributed to a faceless group operating under the name “PTD Elders Forum.” They accused the group, which they noted is not recognized in the PTD by-laws or the NUPENG Constitution, of spreading falsehood to the public.
It will be recalled that Comrades Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale, President and General Secretary of NUPENG, respectively, had earlier alerted members of the public and security agencies that the so-called PTD Elders Forum are infiltrators with sinister motives aimed at creating disaffection within the ranks of the genuine leadership of the Tanker Drivers Branch of NUPENG. The NUPENG leaders further clarified that Comrade Augustine Egbon remains the duly elected National Chairman of PTD-NUPENG, following the Branch Delegates Conference held in Lagos on July 3, 2024.
Addressing journalists at a press briefing in Lagos on Thursday, tanker drivers from Kaduna, Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Warri zones disowned the PTD Elders, describing them as impostors masquerading as tanker drivers. One of the drivers from the Kaduna Zone, Mr. Bashir Izalan, said he was shocked that a faceless group could lay claim to PTD-NUPENG membership. According to him, there is no such group in the hierarchy of the union, adding that the only recognized national chairman is Comrade Egbon. He commended the current leadership for its transparency and commitment to the welfare of members, noting that drivers enjoy insurance, medical care, and intervention in challenges relating to their work.
Speaking on behalf of tanker drivers in the Lagos Zone, Mr. Itanola Abiodun stressed that the impostors are unknown to the union and called on security agencies to fish them out and prosecute them. He explained that every legitimate member of PTD-NUPENG belongs to a unit and a zone, but the individuals parading themselves as elders cannot identify any such affiliation. He described them as hired impostors bent on creating division within the union, adding that genuine members remain solidly behind the current leadership.
From the Port Harcourt Zone, Mr. Chukwudi Okafor dismissed allegations that PTD-NUPENG leaders were misappropriating check-off dues and loading fees. He described the accusations as baseless, stressing that the funds are used to meet members’ welfare and health needs. He explained that truck owners, under NARTO, are responsible for the payments, and members are satisfied with how the leadership manages the resources to provide insurance, hospital care, and emergency support. He maintained that tanker drivers have absolute trust in their leaders and no reason to suspect any wrongdoing.
In his own contribution, Mr. Dennis Akore from the Warri Zone alleged that the impostors are being sponsored by disgruntled former members who lost out during the 2024 delegates’ election in Lagos. He recalled that when those individuals were in the union, they neglected the welfare of drivers and pursued selfish interests, which was why they were voted out. According to him, they are now sponsoring impostors to discredit PTD-NUPENG. He further alleged that at one point, they connived to ambush national officers in Abuja and nearly lynched them, and are still facing criminal charges over that act. He urged security agencies to urgently round them up so that their activities would be fully exposed.
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