For alleged failure of the Federal Government to yield to their demands, the strike action which was embarked upon on Monday by petroleum marketers under the aegis of Jetty and Petroleum Tank Farm Owners of Nigeria (JEPTFON),has gained yet another support from the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
For alleged failure of the Federal Government to yield to their demands, the strike action which was embarked upon on Monday by petroleum marketers under the aegis of Jetty and Petroleum Tank Farm Owners of Nigeria (JEPTFON),has gained yet another support from the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
The strike which was called owing to alleged failure on the part of the government to pay outstanding fuel subsidy to the marketers had earlier being joined by the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMA) which have also made good their threat to shut their operations
But, investigations by Shipping Position Daily at the tank farms in Apapa Lagos yesterday revealed that all of them have shut down their operations without any activity taking place, while motor boys have practically turned entrance of some of the depots into football field.
President of the South-West Zone of NUPENG, Alhaji Nojeem Korodo confirmed to Shipping Position Daily also yesterday that the decision of NUPENG to join in the strike is to protect the interest of its members.
"It is in the interest of our members jobs" Korodo said.
Also speaking with our correspondent, the Assistant Secretary of the PTD unit, Mr. Tayo Boyeji confirmed that tanker drivers have joined the strike and that no activity is taking place for now.
Boyeji lamented that the JEPTFON strike which started on Monday and which has also been joined by the DAPPMA has left tanker drivers jobless, even as he complained of the negative effect the action is bound to have on their finances.
He warned that should the Federal Government fail to settle arrears on subsidy payments, among other issues, the strike is going to affect the economy of the nation negatively.
Also speaking with Shipping Position Daily via telephone, the Chairman of the Stakeholders Technical Committee at the Ibru tank farms, Mr. Geoffry Okorie explained that there is still products at the tank farms and that the refusal to lift them is borne out of government refusal to pay the arrears of subsidy to the marketers.
"These importations are being financed by banks, they collect their interest and if government refuses to pay back these money, definitely the staff of these petroleum companies can not be paid their salaries, you definitely can not beat a child and expect him not to cry" he said.
He warned that should the strike continue, the product in stock at the filling stations will be exhausted and that this will lead to fuel scarcity and black markets will begin to thrive.
According to him, the only way out of the situation is for government to pay the importers their arrears which it owed them, even as he said that an ordinary promise of payment will not make the marketers go back to work.
Meanwhile, operators in the sector have started calculating the losses and negative effect of the strike on Nigerian economy.
According to sources, about 250 trucks are loaded at each of the tank farms on daily basis. The ex-depot price of the premium motor spirit currently stands at N89, while Automated Gas Oil is N134 and the Dual Purpose Kerosene is N100.
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