By Christopher Oji
A major crisis may erupt today at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), satellite depot, Ejigbo, Lagos, following threats by a faction of tanker drivers’ union to stop alleged imposition of a caretaker committee at the depot.Police investigation revealed that members of a faction of the union, which claimed to be the majority, have perfected plans to stop the imposition of caretaker committee, and have concluded plans to use all arsenal at their disposal to accomplish this.
To this end, according to a senior police officer, the people have armed themselves with dangerous weapons, preparatory to engaging members of the caretaker committee, if they step foot into Ejigbo depot.
“Already, they have ignored all entreaties by their leaders to maintain peace, insisting that one of their leaders betrayed them by signing peace accord with both the police, DSS and Zone 2 of the Nigerian Police, Onikan, Lagos, and vowed to sanction those leaders”.
One of the warring members of the group told Daily Sun at Ejigbo, where they were meeting to perfect plans to resist the alleged imposition of caretaker committee that the police, Department of State Service (DSS), and Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, invited one of their former leaders over the week and forced him to sign an undertaking to maintain peace, instead of addressing the main issue that is causing the problem at the depot.
He told reporters: “We have two factions of our union. The national body tried to intervene without success. A caretaker committee was appointed and, instead of spending three months giving way for the election, they spent almost a year, and this is the crux of our complaint. Now, the case of our national leadership is in court but the other faction ignored it and perfected plans for the caretaker committee to continue at Ejigbo. This cannot work and we will resist it with the last blood in our veins.
“They have been boasting that they will use money to suppress us, but it cannot work. We are the majority. Our former leader, who was cajoled to sign a peace agreement under duress, has been pleading that we should maintain peace, but it cannot work. The only way to ensure the maintenance of peace at Ejigbo Depot is for elections to be conducted. By doing so, credible officers will be duly elected by the majority and peace will return to Ejigbo depot,” he stated.
Meanwhile, it was reliably learned that detectives from Lagos State Police Command, early last week, invited about 11 of the leaders of the faction at Ejigbo depot for interrogation. Reports said after meeting with the acting Commissioner of Police, DCP S. Ayilara, their leader was made to sign an undertaking to maintain peace at the depot, and after that, they were all taken to Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, where they signed similar undertakings. It was also gathered that they signed the same undertaking at the office of the DSS at Shangisha.