Barley 28 hours after stakeholders averted proposed strike over seizure of petroleum tankers by security agencies in the state, the leadership of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Employees (NUPENG) has succumbed to pressure, directing filling stations in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital and its environs to shut down operations.
The directive follows fresh disagreement between tanker drivers and security agencies in Rivers state.
Consequently, residents in the state have begun to witness fuel scarcity, panic buying and brisk black-marketing of products especially petrol.
But in a swift reaction, Wednesday, the Rivers state government called on members of the public to avoid panic buying of petroleum products as it had taken steps to resolve issues leading to the protest by petroleum tanker drivers in the state.
Most of the filling stations monitored across Port Harcourt city and Obio/Akpor LGA in Rivers state, Thursday, had complied with the fresh directive to embark on strike over the arrest of tanker drivers and seizure of their vehicles.
Blueprint enquiries showed that queues have continued to build up in most filing stations in the state capital.
Majority of the filling stations stopped dispensing fuel to motorist to other consumers since midnight on Tuesday after another tanker was said to have been seized by the Tax Force on illegal parking.
Our correspondent, who monitored the situation in Port Harcourt Thursday, observed that Tonnino, Jet and Royal Dynasty filling stations on Ada-George Road, as well as some stations on Port Harcourt – Aba Road, and the few between Rumuomasi through Elekahia and Eleme were all shut down.
Speaking on the action, the national treasurer of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Employees (NUPENG), Comr. Alex Agwanwa, explained that the action was due to the in-ability of security agents to respect the understanding they reached with the union last weekend.
“Instead of maintaining our understanding, they decided to arrest more trucks. As we speak, 27 trucks carrying legal products have been arrested. It is unacceptable. This matter has been on for the past two years, we did not want it to get to this stage but here we are,” he added.
