The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and its Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch (PTD) have jointly denied media reports of threats to embark on a nationwide strike over a purported leadership tussle in the union.

Reacting through a press statement on Monday, General Secretary of NUPENG, Olawale Afolabi declared that “there is no plan whatsoever by the Petroleum Tanker Drivers to embark on any protest as there is no division in the union as some desperate individuals and their sponsors want to project. The news item is false and unfounded.”

The NUPENG General Secretary noted that the motive of those behind the press statement was to create panic in the public space and cause artificial scarcity of petroleum products.

The union further tasked security agencies to fish out those behind the news item which it noted was very capable of creating social upheaval and security concerns.

“This press release is compelled in view of the attention of the leadership of both the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers and the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch of the union that was drawn to this very misleading, mischievous and unfounded online news of the purported protest of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers across the country and we are deeply compelled to quickly release this press statement to avert any form of panic, that the fake news item is false, unfounded and should be ignored.

“It is intended to create panic in the public and cause artificial scarcity by these desperate individuals. All the Petroleum Tanker Drivers are fully committed to the national services of effective and efficient distribution of petroleum products across the country.

“We earnestly call on the security agencies to urgently fish out the writer of this very misleading and panic-creating news item and make him face the full wrath of the law if he/she cannot prove the source and authority of the fake news item which is very capable of creating social upheaval and security concerns.”

In a similar vein, the National Chairman of the PTD Branch of NUPENG, Comrade Augustine Egbon, also attributed the news item to those bent on creating panic in the supply chain of Petroleum Products distribution in the country.

The PTD-NUPENG National Chairman maintained that there is no division within its rank and there was no need for any form of protest.

The statement reads In part:” The leadership of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) wishes to alert the general public of the antics of some desperate and mischievous individuals to cause unfounded and dangerous panic in the supply chain of Petroleum Products distribution in the country through spreading of fake and false news items.

“The Petroleum Tanker Drivers are not embarking on any form of protest and we are determined to continue our services to the nation and wholeheartedly support the efforts of the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to put our economy on the right track for the good of all of us.

“We wish to further reiterate the fact that there is no division in our union and the branch of Petroleum Tanker Drivers.

“Our members are fully committed and united in our collective struggles as we believe that workers united, can never be defeated.

“The general public is implored to ignore these mischief makers and security agencies are hereby called upon to fully investigate this panic-creating news item as the citizens are already going through enough tough times and situations.

“We shall overcome.” (Nigerian Tribune)

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