BY MAYOWA SAMUEL
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers and Petrol Tanker Drivers have called off their strike in Rivers State.
The decision came after the state Commissioner of Police, Friday Eboka, convened a meeting with the unions and other stakeholders.
The meeting also had the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources in attendence
This was contained in a communique signed by Chinda Ejims, who represented the PTD and the representative of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
Other signatories were chairmen of Emuhua, Ikwerre and Etche Local Government Areas of the state.
The PTD-NUPENG had complained of harassment, extortion and impounding of members’ trucks by security operatives, including Police, EFCC, Army and taskforce operating in the three LGAs.
The communique reads, “The Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Department of Operations to set up a task force headed by an officer not below the rank of Superintendent of Police, to embark on the arrest of all illegal taskforces operating under the guise of the respective Local Government Areas.
“The Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, appealed to the Executive Chairmen of the various Local Government Areas to apply human face in enforcing the provisions of the Rivers State Traffic Law.”
Going forward, PTD-NUPENG were advised to educate their members on the need to report any mechanical breakdown of their trucks to the nearest Police Station in the event that the repairs may exceed the six hours provided for by the law.
“That the PTD-NUPENG to appoint a member of the Union into the State taskforce on illegal bunkering activities so as to ensure timely and transparent of sample products suspected to be from illegal bunkering activities.
“The Commissioner of Police, Rivers State has directed that all trucks with clean bill of health from the report of Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority should be released on Friday, unconditionally while owners of Product that failed the test will be prosecuted at the end of investigation.
“The Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command stated that the resolution of the stakeholders meeting will be communicated to her sister security agencies (EFCC and Nigeria Army) not represented at the meeting.
“That the Commissioner of Police has promised to intervene on the issue of the truck impounded by IGP taskforce on illegal bunkering to ensure justice prevails.
“The PTD-NUPENG has promised to suspend their strike action Thursday, September 15, 2022, after the necessary consultation on the outcome of the meeting,” it added.
