Even as it has called off the strike action which it embarked on in Lagos last week, the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has assured that it will not relent in its determination to bring to book the management of a fuel transport company; AGS Barma for compelling its members to mix petrol with kerosene and transporting it for sale to unsuspecting filling stations.
The union in protest of this criminal action had last week embarked on a day strike which would have led to fuel scarcity in some parts of the country if not for the quick government intervention.
According to the Lagos zonal chairman of the union, Alhaji Nojeem Korordo who spoke to Shipping Position Weekly correspondent last week, the case is still at the Police Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, in Yaba, Lagos and that investigation is on going to make sure that the perpetrators are dealt with.
Explaining the latest developments, Korodo told out correspondent that “We have since called off the strike action because the union is understanding, but we are currently still with the police doing the investigations”
The strike was embarked upon in Lagos last week when the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of the union got wind of the adulteration activities going on at the premises of AGS Barma located in Ilasamaja area of Lagos state where tanker drivers alleged that they were being forced by their boss to adulterate fuel.
According to Korodo, following the tip- off, the union executives visited the company and caught them in the act after which it decided to lock up the gates leading to the company.
Explaining he said “we visited the venue and when we saw what was going on we decided to lock the gates and insisted that no trucks must leave premises”.
This action led to the intervention of the men of the IIasamaja police station who came and send the union away in order to avert a looming riot at the premises. “I had to call the DPO of Area D in Mushin who later sent two truck loads of officers to replace our men at the gate. But to my surprise when the police went inside to see the management they came out and they allowed the company to remove the number plates of the accused trucks which we earlier identified as containing the adulterated product and allowed them to be driven away”, Korodo explained.
He stated that the strike action was to compel the police to arrest and prosecute the culprit who according to him, is now on-the-run.
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