The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) has said the welfare as well as wellbeing of her members remains paramount to the union.
In a statement issued in Abuja, NUPENG National President Comrade William Akporeha said the current executive under his leadership, would always make case for all its members including the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD).
He said NUPENG won’t be cowed by some criminal elements trying to create issues where there is none.
While reacting to a comment credited to the General Secretary of the Union, Comrade Afolabi Olawale, where he allegedly described some persons as ‘public goat’, Akporeha said he was quoted out of context
According to him, the union’s scribe was only trying to highlight the neglect of tanker drivers and their demands, and wonder why persons facing criminal charges would want to twist the truth.
Akporeha asked the general public to ignore sensational reports being peddled by a section of the media, in support of non-recognised group of persons, bent on demeaning the majority by promoting untrue, concerted and manipulated stories, to gain public sympathy.
NUPENG said its relationship with the Augustine Egbon-led PTD remains intact as it is the only recognised leadership with the trade union’s secretariat at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
A faction of the PTD, under the leadership of Comrades Lucky Osesua and Dayyabu Garga had in a statement titled “Stop calling us public goats”, accused Olawale of the name calling.
“It was a total display of shame to see Afolabi Olawale, the General Secretary of a Union like NUPENG, describe those he claimed to have organized in the informal sector of the union, as public goats.
“He brazenly made the comment without restraint because he is used to it. He loves using demeaning phrases and terms anytime he talks about PTD. He loves calling us illiterate people, scavengers, etc,” the statement had said.
