Follow Us on Google
The national chairman of Petroleum Tanker Drivers’ Branch of the
National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, (NUPENG)
Otunba Salmon Oladiti, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari not to be
distracted, but remain focused to his administration’s commitment to put
the economy in good shape and ultimately, turn around the fortunes of
Nigerians.
The NUPENG chairman gave the advice in a statement he personally
signed and made available to newsmen in Abuja. President Buhari
returned to the country at the weekend after over 100 days in the
United Kingdom.
Oladiti, who expressed concern over negative comments on the state of
health of President Buhari, while he was out of the country, said he
was excited that certain individuals who were playing god that
Buhari’s health had worsened and that he would not return to his seat, have
been put to shame.
According to Olamiti, “Now that President Buhari is back in the country, we are
waiting for those who promised to commit suicide to do so. ‘’It was
clear to discerning Nigerians when certain opposition elements and
groups were staging protests, we knew corruption was fighting back.
” Those who stole the nation blind under the past administration were
not happy with the new lease of lives, the transparency and openness
in governance.
‘’They are used to cornering our collective patrimony, stealing the
nation blind while majority live in misery. They haven’t come to terms
with the reality of a new dawn which ordinary Nigerians now relish.
They are still gnashing their teeth. ’’
Speaking on the positive development in the oil industry, the NUPENG
chairman said both the upstream and downstream sectors of the industry
have witnessed tremendous growth under the present administration,
“Unlike in the previous government when the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC) was at the mercy of a super Minister.
It was a time when the country was making so much from crude oil
earnings, yet NNPC was technically bankrupt. ’’
He particularly lauded the uninterrupted fuel supply situation in the
country, which he noted was a departure from the recent past when car
owners stayed endlessly at gas stations to queue for fuel, while
commuters remained stranded at parks.
Oladiti, however, pleaded with the present administration to redeem its
pledge to put all federal highways in good shape and remove the
present trauma that his members are subjected to in the process of
conveying petroleum products from the depots to retail outlets across
the country.
‘’ As a union, our tankers ply the dangerous highways across the
country, conveying petroleum products. The tanker drivers are
subjected to all sorts of hardship on daily basis. We suffer human
casualties and loss of tankers, on daily basis on these highways, as a
result of the intolerable conditions of the highways across the
country.
‘’We are hopeful that just like the Vice President, Prof. Yemi
Osinbajo did promise and has allayed our fears, the situations on the
highways will soon change for the better.’’
