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Tanker drivers explain encounter with PPPRA
By Ahmed I. Shekarau
Petroleum Tanker Drivers have defended the allegation that it members shunned officials of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), explaining that those that accosted the agency officials were not members of the PTD.
National chairman of the PTD, Alhaji Tijjani Zubairu rose in strong defence of his members, saying the PTD members at Suleja depot are law abiding and peace loving people and that the Suleja Depot has been known as the most peaceful of all the depots in the country.
Daily Trust reported last week Thursday that the PTD members shunned executive secretary of the PPPRA, Dr Oluwole Olunleye who led other officials and journalists to the depot.
Alhaji Tijjani, while speaking to newsmen in Abuja blamed the PPPRA officials for the seemingly embarrassing action metted all of them at the PTD tanker garage in Tunga, last week, where officials of the agency were denied entrance into the garage while on tour of Suleja Depot.
The chairman said when the Gbadamosi led-agency visited the depot manager at Suleja, they (union executives) were on alert that the agency will accord them respect of visiting their office situated within the depot premises.
Alhaji Tijjani explained that the agency’s officials at that point over-reacted and this attracted on-lookers and miscreants who roamed about the area, saying it took the intervention of some drivers around, as the miscreants wanted to burn down the vehicles conveying the agency officials of the garage.
He said, much as the relationship between PTD and PPPRA has been cordial before now, it was expected that the agency had deemed it fit to visit the PTD executives, who would have conducted the officials round the garage for the inspection.
Alhaji Tijjani said, “this office has been relating well with that of PPPRA executive secretary, Dr Oluwole Olunleye, and have been changing correspondences over time but was surprised by the sudden cold treatment metted at us.”
He therefore blamed the PPPRA officials for what happen to them, arguing that neither the PTD executive nor the drivers in the garage at that time knew about the visit and that because miscreants exploited the opportunity to cause trouble, PTD members cannot be blamed.
The chairman decried a situation where Petroleum Tankers Drivers are seen as illiterate and social misfits, arguing that they are responsible men with their families who are contributing meaningfully to the economy and growth of the nation.
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