‘Enterprise in futility’ — PTD tackles NUPENG leadership over ‘plot to remove elected officials’

The Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), has rejected alleged plots to remove Lucky Osesua and  Yusuf Garga, chairman and deputy chairman of the union.

The union, which described the plots as an “enterprise in futility”,  stated its position in a statement signed by Osesua, its factional chairman, and Humble Power, the national secretary. 

In the statement, PTD urged the NUPENG leadership to “stop chasing shadows and focus on upholding peace within the union”.

The union said parading Augustine Egbon as the national chairman of PTD by NUPENG  is an insult to the law and other constitutional guidelines.

“They cannot foist on the rest of us Egbon as the national chairman; it is not only illegal but also totally disgraceful to what trade unionism stands for and the rule of law,” the statement reads. 

“Moreover, the Union is bigger than anyone. The ILO conventions and other extant rules and ethics are very clear about this.

“Those seeking to harass, intimidate or trying to remove Osesua and Garga from the position of national chairman and deputy national chairman respectively, are engaging in what we can call an enterprise in futility because they were validly elected by the great and hardworking members of PTD as stipulated in the union’s rules, guidelines and by-laws.

“Our election duly conducted in Abuja on Tuesday, 31st October, 2023, is the one recognized by law which subsequently produced Osesua, Garga, Obinna, Akinlolu, and other executives. 

“The illegal leadership under Augustine Egbon could not avail itself legitimacy by serially violating the sanctity of our Branch’s by-law and other legal methods of conducting delegates conference.

“Meanwhile, the previous police invitation of all our national executives is the height of the NUPENG’s leadership’s desperation to force Osesua out of office. 

“This has also failed,  because the police, as a law-abiding federal security agent, now know the truth.

“Extrapolating a police invitation of anyone, despite their status, is itself an invitation to lawlessness and anarchy, which permeated the long but ineffective rule of Afolabi and his ilk in NUPENG.

“Police cannot be cajoled to fall for their vicious antics by intimidating, victimizing, oppressing, and frustrating us, Afolabi, Williams, and Oladiti’s attempt to blackmail us and engage in forum shopping/trumped-up charges and propaganda had failed ab initio. They should stop chasing shadows.”

The duo also said Gambo Tuge, a leader in PTD, “remained law-abiding and not a fugitive of the law and could not be labelled with unprintable names”. 

According to the union, Tuge was protecting the interest of the PTD through legitimate and decent means recognised by the law. 

“PTD is not an error or aberration, therefore, such legitimate move cannot be criminalised under any guise,” PTD added. 

The PTD leaders urged all members of the branch across the four zones to remain law-abiding, adding that “victory is near”.