Fuel scarcity: Civil societies group accuses tanker drivers of holding Nigeria to ransom

The Coalition of Civil Societies for Transparent and Good Governance yesterday accused the Tanker Divers Union (TDU) of being responsible for the unending fuel scarcity that is troubling the country.

Leading 24 other CSOs to address newsmen in Abuja yesterday, the National Coordinator of the group, Alhaji Ali Abacha, described the development as an act of sabotage, Abacha alleged that further findings by “our team of eagle-eyed agents revealed that this group of men who claim the name TDU had forcibly taken over various depots and tank farms of oil dealers.”

He added: “We discovered that workers of some companies were shut out of their depots by members of the cabal. The situation has built so much tension around some depots with the TDU shutting down the depots and workers in the depots spoiling for war.

“The same scenario is playing out at other depots we visited in the wake of the ongoing fuel crises, prompting out decision to bring this ugly situation to the attention of security agencies and Nigerians.

“We are therefore calling on the Federal Government to put an end to this other Tanker Drivers Union that has been causing mayhem around our nation’s depots while they are not real tanker drivers, and allow companies to manage their staff drivers.

“Our finding showed that every company has its own drivers. These drivers operate unionism within their companies. Government should ensure that unionism operates as such rather than allowing external agents to be reaping where they do not belong.

“As fuel scarcity bites harder and trucks fully loaded with petrol are currently being withheld by this cabal (thanks to recent interventions by government), Nigeria security operatives are by this conference urged to storm and free other remaining trucks and their contents for the use of Nigerians.

“Nigeria government should also ensure that same thing is done in all other depots across the country where the cabal “drivers” who are detaining truck drivers are chased out of all depots and depot/business owners allowed and protected to run their businesses.

“Drivers should not be forced to join or belong to unions they are not interested in. Depot owners must be protected by government if they wish to operate as independent operators, and not be forced to join or establish unions of their dislike. This should not be by force”.