The Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), a critical branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), has resumed a fierce attack on the union’s national leadership, calling for the immediate removal of key executives over what the drivers described as “reckless and irresponsible” actions that threaten Nigeria’s oil and gas sector industrial peace and harmony.
In a strong worded statement signed by Comrade Obi-Dede Wonder on Friday, 12th December 2025, while briefing newsmen, accused NUPENG President Williams Akporeha and General Secretary Afolabi Olawale of mismanaging the union, intimidating members, undermining national economic progress and making incessant arrest of Union’s national executives as well as Branch executives, especially those in PTD.
The Tanker Drivers’ present outrage was linked to NUPENG’s arrest of its National Treasurer who doubles as Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Chairman, Rivers State Council, Comrade Alex Agwanwor by officers of the Nigeria Police Force, Alagbon Close, Lagos.
PTD noted that NUPENG went so low and condescending to have orchestrated how Comrade Agwanwor was dehumanised and whisked away by the Police like a common criminal around 9:00 pm last Thursday at the premises of the NLC sub-secretariat in Yaba, shortly after the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.
The drivers wondered how internal disagreements between Agwanwor and NUPENG would degenerate to a level that Police would now be used to settle scores without recourse to the union’s internal mechanism responsible for resolving disputes. PTD added that the matter between Alex Agwanwor and NUPENG leadership was already in court before the arrest was made.
“From a statement credited to NLC, the matter had earlier been discussed during the Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting held the same day, where it was resolved that a committee would be constituted to address the dispute, but NUPENG leaders for who they are, were so overzealous to have Alex Agwanwor arrested, a total violation of established protocols and extant rules guiding labour and trade union affairs.
“This is their stock in trade, they did the same to PTD national executives led by Comrade Lucky Osesua, Comrade Dayyabu Garga, Comrade (Dr) Humble Obinna Power, Comrade Olabisi Akinlolu, etc. These leaders were detained at SARS ABATUER, and FCIID Abuja Police cells; and remanded in both Keffi Prisons and Kuje Prisons for over three weeks. Afolabi and Williams have lost touch with what trade unionism stands for and they deserve to be shown the way out of the union. We completely agree with NLC that the arrest of Alex Agwanwor is not only malicious in intent but violates all known civil protocols of arrest and as well constitutes a threat to peaceful labour–police relations,” the statement said.
Continuing, the statement said, “The President and the General Secretary of NUPENG, Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale have both taken bullying, intimidation, victimisation and harassment of both members and staff of the union in all the four zones in Nigeria to an extremely high and embarrassing level, to the extent that in the eyes of the public, NUPENG is now being subjected to ridicule, total disgrace, and has become a laughing stock to the rest of the world.
“We are further worried and disturbed about another unfortunate and appalling development at the Calabar Area of the Port-Harcourt Zone of the Union, where one Mr Sunday Ogunleye a.k.a “Otunba” who is not a Petroleum Tanker Driver by profession, but has been a Task Force Chairman of PTD PH Zone for over ten years, ordered his Yoruba speaking brothers whose meter delivery truck was lawfully impounded by officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps who were on duty, to go and block the entrance of the FRSC office with their vehicles; they even violently fought the FRSC officials in their own premises.
“The criminal show of shame took the intervention of the men of the 13 Brigade Nigerian Army who are neighbours with the FRSC to stop the PTD members from further harassing the FRSC officers, the Army officers handed them over to the Police who detained them, and after investigations, charged them to court, thus increasing the number of litigations instituted against the Union. This “Otunba” has been parading himself as the one in charge of Calabar, he refused to even consult or report to the Zonal Chairman of PH Zone because of his relationship with the NUPENG National Trustee and former National Chairman of PTD, Comrade Salimon Akanni Oladiti.
“As at today NUPENG under the leadership of Afolabi and Williams has recorded the highest number of lawsuits, with an average of 50 cases, many of which were filed by former staff, expelled or suspended members of the union. Infact the Judiciary is even tired of their approach to many of the cases and worst still the Union has been reprimanded severally and slammed with contempt charges and fines.
“The current national leadership of NUPENG has created a serious crisis in PTD and other Branches in the Union through their penchant for removing democratically elected officers and planting stooges and surrogates everywhere to suit their selfish gains. These actions have been widely condemned by the members of the Union and other industry stakeholders, because they contravene standard rules and practices. Pressing criminal charges on innocent individuals who are known to be law abiding and have never erred in law is a serious crime against humanity that should be resisted by all stakeholders including the Labour centre, NLC, and other relevant bodies. NUPENG leadership needs to be called to order before it is too late. Enough of these wild shenanigans and high-handedness.”
