Chairman of the Edo State Task Force on protection
of pipeline vandalisation committee, Osakpamwan Eriyo has accused
officials of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers
(NUPENG) and Petroleum Tanker Drivers’ Association, Benin Depot of
being responsible for pipeline vandalism. Mr Eriyo further accused the
two unions of being behind the adulteration of petroleum products in
Edo and Delta States. Speaking to newsmen in the wake of recent
discoveries of adulterated petroleum products being sold in Benin City
and its environs, Mr Eriyo said findings by his committee have shown
that operators of the Benin depot are largely the brains behind the
economic sabotage.
“We have been trying our best to see that such
things never happen in Edo State, but the most surprising thing to us
is that the people in that depot are responsible for the adulteration
of products going on,” he said.
“And as I speak today, last week, I learnt that
they put their men in different locations in Edo here and they are not
government agents and what they normally do is to get the fuel from the
depot and take it elsewhere to adulterate.
“When you ask for their way bill, you won’t get
any from them. They don’t go with such. Instead, they will tell you
they are trans loading, even though before you are able to trans load
from one truck to the other, you should be able to provide a letter
from the NNPC indicating that you are trans loading product to other
truck. But in this case, it usually is not so.”
Solution to problem
Mr Eriyo however gave assurance that his committee is trying its best to ensure that such things are taken care of.
“When you look properly, you will discover that
this vandalisation issue, most of the act is committed by most of the
staff of NUPENG and PTD and that is the area we have to watch. The
people we are supposed to have relationship with are the same people
supporting such act, and for that reasons, I will prefer not to have
any relationship with them so that the work will move the way it should
be,” he said.
An official of the petrol tankers drivers union, Ehi Osaretin, however denied the allegation.
“Our men are law abiding people and we will not do
anything to harm people whom when we sometimes come out to demonstrate,
they support us,” he said.
