Fuel Scarcity Looms As NUPENG, NARTO Protest Harassment By Security Agents, Task Force

There is a looming fuel scarcity in the country following protests by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) in Rivers and Kano States.

The unions are protesting alleged harassment of tanker drivers by security agents and have instructed their members to close filling stations and stop loading of fuel.

The Kano State branch of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) and NARTO on Tuesday began an indefinite strike over alleged harassment of its members by personnel of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).

NUPENG and other relevant bodies had also ordered the closure of filling stations in Rivers State and directed tanker drivers to stop distribution of fuel following what they described as the continued arrest of members and seizure of their tankers.

Spokesman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN) in Kano, Bashir Danmallam, told THE WHISTLER that fuel tanker drivers were regularly arrested by men of the Nigeria Customs Service while driving to filling stations in parts of the state.

Not less than five trucks are said to have been impounded by the customs operatives in the last one month.

Secretary General of NUPENG, Olawale Afolabi, who spoke to THE WHISTLER on Thursday also confirmed that tanker drivers operate in an environment of grave insecurity, stressing that drivers are subjected to harassment of security agents, especially the military and police.

He said while there was no plan to call a general strike, there were situations in some states such as Kano and Rivers States.

“We have presented our grievances to the federal government and they said they are looking into it. But we have told our members not to travel at night again,” he stated.

Isaac Ebarare, former secretary general of NUPENG who also spoke to the website, alleged that there were several incidences of hijack of fuel tankers by kidnappers who divert the fuel and release empty tankers.

He warned that if nothing was done to address the problems, oil workers may go on strike in the country. “I don’t know of any plan for a general strike now, but if issues are not quickly address, anything can happen.”