The Petroleum Tanker Drivers branch of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers on Tuesday suspended its seven-day warning strike.
The strike had been called to protest the alleged killing of one of its members by some soldiers in Jos, Plateau State on November 6, 2010.
The decision to suspend the strike was taken at a meeting attended by Federal Government officials, top representatives of the Nigerian Army, NUPENG, Jetties and Petroleum Tank Farm Owners Association and the PTD.
Members of the Federal Government’s team were the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Mr. Emeka Nwogu; the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mr. Austen Oniwon; and the Managing Director of the Petroleum Products Marketing Company, Mr. Sam Okeke.
On the NUPENG delegation, which was led by its President, Mr. Igwe Achese, were the National Chairman of the PTD, Mr. Timothy Ogbu; his counterpart in JEPTFON, Mr. Ifeanyi Uba; and the Executive Secretary, JEPTFON, Mr. Peter Akpatason.
On the side of the Nigerian Army were the Chief of Policy and Plans, Maj.-Gen. Olakunle Akinyemi, who represented the Ministry of Defence and the Chief of Army Staff; the Chief Provost Marshal of the Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Yusufu Pyeng; and the Director of Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Chris Olukolade.
At the end of the five-hour meeting, which began at 2pm, the aggrieved tanker drivers agreed to shelve the strike. This was according to a communiqué jointly signed by representatives of the three parties that attended the meeting.
Nwogu, who read the communiqué, said the Nigerian Army had handed over the soldiers involved in the killing of the tanker driver to the Nigerian Police for prosecution. He said also that negotiations for compensation to the bereaved families had commenced.
He stated that the Army had also started examining the age and make of the affected trucks for “remedial action and possible restitution by the Army.”
He said they also demanded recognition for JEPTFON as a key player in the downstream sector of the oil industry, like the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria and the Independent Petroleum Marketers of Nigeria.
The demands also included the restructuring of loans procured by members into long-term facilities at three per cent and the establishment of a Downstream Development Fund through the Bank of Industry, a tour of JEPTFON’s facilities and a call on the Nigeria Ports Authority to dredge the jetties of its members.
Nwogu said the meeting, which eventually led to the suspension of the strike, was called at the instance of President Goodluck Jonathan. He said the President realised the need to take urgent steps to protect Nigerians from avoidable hardship.
The communiqué reads in part, “Having noted the above issues of concern, it was agreed that the government had shown good faith in addressing those issues. Consequently, the industrial action embarked upon by NUPENG in this instance is hereby suspended to enable government to continue resolving the identified problems. JEPTFON also hereby undertakes to reopen its facilities and resume operations.”
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