The Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has elected new national officers to run its national secretriat.
At a special delegates conference held in Lagos on Wednesday, Comrade Augustine Egbon, emerged as national chairman to run the affairs of the union of junior workers in the downstream oil sector for a term of four years.
He defeated his opponent, Lucky Osesua who stayed away from venue of the election.
Comrade Oluchi Chinagorom from PortHarcourt zone of the union will serve as National Secretary in the election which equally produced Comrades Lawan Garba, Mathias Ote, Dauda Olabisi and Olaolu Akinmuyise, as national Vice Chairman, Kaduna, Warri, Lagos and Port Harcourt zones of the PTD-NUPENG, respectively.
The duo of Comrades Malut Abubakar and Odinakachi Nwafor emerged as First Deputy National Chairman and Second Deputy National Chairman, respectively.
The election conducted on Wednesday was in compliance with judgment of Justice O Y Anuwe of the National Industrial Court,( NIC) in Abuja which on May 29, 2024, annulled previous election of the union held in Ibadan, last October.
In dissolving the national officers elected at the last October election, Justice Anuwe had ordered that NUPENG should set up an Electoral Committee to organise a new national delegates conference within four months.
The Judge also instructed that NUPENG Constitution and the PTD Bye Laws should be followed in conducting the new election.
In his address before the commencement of voting, Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Comrade Solomon Kilanko declared that the process was non discriminatory in line with the judgment of the NIC, Abuja.
He said: “The judgment also demands that the election to be conducted should be all inclusive and non discriminatory.
“To this end,the electoral Committee notified all members that no one is barred from participating in this election and in addition, the list of delegates that are eligible today is still the same list that was used for October 31st, 2023 election in Ibadan to ensure that all those suspended after the election are allowed to participate in this election.”
In his acceptance speech, the new chairman, Comrade Egbon, thanked stakeholders in the union for ensuring a smooth conduct of the fresh election. Egbon restated his stance that the PTD would not severe its relationship with its umbrella body, the NUPENG while also offering an olive branch to its aggrieved members.
He said: “I give thanks to God Almighty for making this election possible for us again. I thank the security personnel assured adequate security. I thank our leaders in NUPENG, who did all that were necessary to guarantee a smooth election.
“There is no faction in PTD, all of us are one. We are one with NUPENG. ”
National President of NUPENG, Comrade Williams Akporeha, spoke in similar vein as he declared that “NUPENG has shown to the world that NUPENG, PTD is one. There is no division anywhere.”
In attendance to monitor the process where sixteen national officers were elected were Registrar of Trade Union of Nigeria, Mr Amos Falonipe; Barrister Segun Arowolo from the Legal Department of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and President of NARTO, Alhaji Yusuf Othman.
