Current scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise called petrol, may worsen if petroleum tanker drivers may good their threats to embark on industrial action.
By Emma Ogbuehi
There has been spiraling fuel scarcity in many parts of the country since Monday following the discovery of the importation of adulterated products. The product in question is said to contain high concentration of Sulphur, making it harmful to engines and accessories.
In a bid to mitigate the crisis occasioned by the situation, the federal government has stated that the adulterated fuel has been withdrawn from the market, assuring that supplies would be normalized by the weekend.
But while the government raised the hope of addressing the situation, Petroleum tanker drivers have threatened to proceed on strike over the poor state of roads, heightening fears of worsening the ongoing fuel scarcity across the nation.
They accused unnamed culprits of pilfering the N621billion Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme meant for the rehabilitation of 21 critical roads across the country.
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Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) National Chairman, Comrade Salmon Akanni, who spoke with reporters in Abuja, vowed that members of his association would proceed on strike at a very short notice if the government does not put the roads in order very soon.
He recalled that the end of the quarterly Branch Executive Council meeting of the union in Enugu on the 25th of September 2021, PTD had raised issues on the deplorable state of the federal highways and the painful experiences of members while carrying out their duties across the country, threating to embark on strike.
He further recalled that to prevent the union from carrying out the action, the management of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) invited the leadership to two separate meetings the 10th of October 2021 in Ibadan and 12th October 2021 in Abuja.
The meetings, he said, resulted into signing of communique indicating the readiness and willingness of NNPC to finance the rehabilitation of identified 21 critical roads at an estimated sum of N621 Billion through Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme.
“On the basis of this communique, we suspended the intended industrial action but with a very clear warning, that should the spirit and letter of the agreement not fully implemented with focus on those jointly identified critical roads, the Union will not hesitate to resume the intended actions without further warning”, he said.
He warned that there may be no further consultation with the Federal Government before the association embarks on strike, this time around.
On the N621billion, he said: “To the delight of all of us, the issued was tabled before the Federal Executive Council and was expressly approved within two weeks as agreed.
“Unfortunately, and to our greatest shocks, we heard it from very reliable sources that some vultures in the garbs of being State governments, Officials of Ministry of Works and Housing and politicians are already depleting these funds and misappropriating them on roads and projects not intended in the agreement as approved by the Federal Executive Council.
“This is an open day robbery but we are assuring all and sundry, that our union will go to all lengths to expose these unscrupulous individuals.
“Every kobo of the approved fund must be accounted for and we must see and broadcast the pre and post rehabilitation of all the identified 21 federal roads to the whole nation. tax payers’ money must be accounted for.”