The Association of Distributors and Transporters of Petroleum Products (ADITOP) has accused the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) of extortion and imposing excessive levies within the downstream sector.
Alhaji Lawal Dan-zaki, National President of ADITOP, made the allegation in a statement on Monday in Abuja while reacting to the purported strike declared by NUPENG.
NUPENG is protesting what it described as anti-labour practices by Dangote Refinery, after the refinery reportedly insisted that drivers recruited to operate its Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks would not be allowed to join trade unions. The union had warned of an imminent nationwide fuel scarcity, directing its Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) arm to stop loading petroleum products from depots beginning Monday.
Dan-zaki dissociated ADITOP from the strike, saying the association was formed to check the excesses of NUPENG, its Petroleum Tanker Drivers arm, and other illegal levy collectors operating under the union’s umbrella.
He said the unions disrupted supply and distribution by holding tanker owners to ransom, imposing excessive levies, extorting drivers, and resorting to nationwide strikes whenever challenged.
*“NUPENG, PTD and many other unions and associations hiding under the NUPENG umbrella extort ADITOP members and depot owners one Naira per litre of every product loaded in a depot.
“Additionally, NUPENG, through PTD, collects an extra one Naira per litre of loaded product by any marketer. This is in addition to loading charges of N80,000 to N100,000 per truck.
“This is outright extortion and economic sabotage by NUPENG, PTD and their affiliated unions and associations,”* he said.
Dan-zaki noted that in the past five years, ADITOP had submitted several petitions to government agencies over NUPENG’s activities, with cases reviewed by the Inspector-General of Police, Department of State Services, National Security Adviser, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
He alleged that NUPENG thrived on extortion while remitting nothing to the Federal Government in taxes, and urged authorities to support Dangote Group against the unions’ actions.
(NAN)