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Tag: Comrade Joseph Dagogo-Jack (JP)

  • Fresh Crisis Rocks NUPENG As Stakeholders Call For Resignation Of President, General Secretary

    Fresh Crisis Rocks NUPENG As Stakeholders Call For Resignation Of President, General Secretary

    The embattled President and General Secretary of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Comrades Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale have taken fresh swipe from Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) just as the Branch stakeholders called for the duo’s immediate resignation in order to give room for fresh air and stability in the Union.

    The latest call was contained in a statement signed by one Comrade Preye Odede-Graham on Sunday, September 21, 2025, on behalf of PTD elders and stakeholders, Comrades (Alhaji) Tajudeen Abubakar (Kaduna Zone), Chief (Comrade.) Edafe Osas (Warri Zone), Comrade Joseph Dagogo-Jack (JP) (Port Harcourt Zone) and Comrade Kolade Fadahunsi-Ojelabi (Lagos Zone).

    This latest onslaught came on the heels of standoff and industrial disputes between Dangote Refinery, NUPENG, the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), and other industry Associations. The Unions alleged that the refinery was preventing Tanker Drivers from joining the Union, an erroneous assertion which PTD described as “tissue of lies from the pit of hell”.

    PTD blamed the recent woes befalling NUPENG on the lacklustre attitude of the union’s President as well as intimidation, victimization and harassment of the members of PTD by the General Secretary which is at variance with the extant rules of the union as well as human dignity.

    PTD maintained that they no longer wanted to be used as attack dogs against the federal government, especially President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other players in the industrial ecosystem.

    They lampooned leaders of NUPENG over their failure to hail the tenacity of Dangote Refinery for standing against all odds to defeat the process pressure and market disruption with his 650,000 bpd capacity alongside with the 4000 CNG trucks tankers and 6000 truck cargoes totalling 10000 trucks costing 2trillion Naira to move the products to the consumers at no cost, with value added of over 40,000 jobs capacity.

    They also begged President Tinubu to ensure high tariffs increase to discourage fuel importation and add increased crude supply to Dangote Refinery with a license for oil exploration. They further advise Mr President to nationalise oil wells so as to allow for proper dredging, as the majority of licensed sites were desolate and moribund.

    The aggrieved PTD stakeholders in their plea accused Afolabi and Williams of carrying out activities that were contemptuous of the Court, which would further plunge them into shame and legal punishment, especially the collection of illegal levies and dues at various depots, including Dangote refinery. The tanker drivers added that NUPENG leaders should be ready to pay back with interest or risk going to jail. PTD stated that if the duo were allowed to continue in office, their joint presence could drag the union into total extinction, as well as local and international disgrace.

    They begged law enforcement agencies, anti graft agents, industry regulators, Federal government, stakeholders in trade union, media, civil society, legal profession, etc, to support them to commence the re-engineering of NUPENG by showing Afolabi and Williams the exit doors from the union so that the petroleum industry could get the much anticipated liberation.

    “The era of fresh air has arrived and will permanently stay in the PTD Branch and also in NUPENG as a whole. This shift will help to signal a total end to all forms of manipulation, extortion, intimidation and harassment by the Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale-led administration in the union. The General Secretary and the President should smell the coffee and resign honourably to avoid bringing further shame to their families and the Union. These are people who would claim they go for meetings in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna to advance workers’ welfare and good condition of service only to be seen at different Clubs and hotels with different women to satisfy their fantasies. They have outlived their relevance, so they should leave now that their reputation is dwindling woefully.

    “Their much-expected exit will practically rekindle the hope for the hopeless in the union. Petroleum Tanker Drivers are not mere servants for some egocentric leaders of NUPENG who only use us as attack dogs against the federal government and other industry investors especially Dangote. We have observed that the interest of drivers is being compromised and, worse still, relegated to the background, and most annoying is that these hardworking members of PTD are being tagged “common drivers”, called “illiterates”, and in some instances “public goats”. We are grateful to God that this has been put to a halt under the leadership of Comrade Lucky Osesua, his deputy, Dayyabu Garga, and Comrade Dr Humble Obinna Power.

    “Emperical evidence has also revealed that Afolabi Olawale is one person whose interest is to enrich himself and display a high level of heinous activity to subjugate other union members and staff. A salary earner of NUPENG, whose primary scope of work is to manage the secretariat, has now turned himself into a monster. Under him, all NUPENG positions have prize tags, all for his selfish interest. The freedom mantra has started; we thank God, and the courageous men that kick-started this struggle. May the almighty God protect and bless them all.

    “Affiliate members of NUPENG have commendably begun the passing of a vote of no confidence on the President and General Secretary, as it is widely confirmed that these individuals have embarrassingly failed the union. The time is now for NUPENG to start charting a new course to enable members and staff to face and mitigate the challenges of deregulation in the petroleum sector and as well consolidate the “new, acceptable and sustainable normal” that Dangote Refinery and MRS have brought to the oil and gas sector.

    “This is also a testament to the success of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and also the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) on energy efficiency and the 2030 Agenda. With all these attendant feats, Dangote deserves all the accolades. Therefore, no one should listen to any nuisance being constituted by any group under the guise of a trade union. But the good thing is that Nigerians can no longer be deceived as they now know who the real economic saboteurs in the country are, and impressively relevant security agencies are dealing with them accordingly. No one is bigger than the rule of law.

    “On this note, we therefore appeal to all our members in PTD and others in various branches not to be despaired, let us join hands together and win the battle against these common enemies and stop them once and for all, these multidimensional nonsense and slavery in the union must be hurriedly put to stop. United, we stand against every economic saboteur and enemies of progress in Nigeria’s economic powerhouse” the statement said.

  • PTD Berates NUPENG For Frustrating Peace Talks With Dangote, Tells Govt, Organized Labour To Be Chary

    PTD Berates NUPENG For Frustrating Peace Talks With Dangote, Tells Govt, Organized Labour To Be Chary

    Petroleum Tanker Drivers have advised local and international Labour organizations, industry regulator, including Ministry of Labour and Employment not to be cajoled by the antics or sentiments of NUPENG who was currently painting a more dramatic picture in the fray by accusing Dangote Refinery’s representatives of deliberately frustrating the ongoing peace process initiated by the Nigerian Government.

    This advice was contained in a jointly signed statement on Tuesday by stakeholders of PTD Branch of NUPENG, namely, Comrades (Alhaji) Tajudeen Abubakar (Kaduna Zone), Chief (Mrs.) Blessing Dafinone (Warri Zone), Comrade Joseph Dagogo-Jack (JP) (Port Harcourt Zone) and Comrade Kolade Fadahunsi-Ojelabi (Lagos Zone).

    It would be recalled that the peace talks, which started Monday evening, September 8, ended around 12 a.m. in the early hours of Tuesday without any fruitful resolution. While NUPENG insisted that workers in Dangote Refinery must unionise, Dangote officials said union membership should be made optional.

    NUPENG had last week directed its members to halt petroleum product distribution nationwide from September 8, over what it considered as Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals’ “anti-labour practices”. At the centre of the dispute was Dangote Refinery’s purported insistence that drivers recruited for its 10,000 compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks will not be allowed to join any trade union.

    The statement reads in parts:

    “Without prejudice Dangote refinery and its business partners have been so magnanimous by honouring the call of the peace mediators, comprising of Ministry of Labour and Employment, industry regulators and leaders of Organized Labour when it conceded to the plea that refinery workers can be unionised, but unfortunately NUPENG insisted workers in the Refinery facilities must be unionised by force and their membership must never be made optional.

    “My candid advice to the local and international Labour organizations as well as the country’s Ministry of Labour and Employment is that they should never fall for the crocodile cry of NUPENG’s leadership as it is presently constituted. Organisations like IndustriALL Global Union, TUC, NLC, ITUC-Africa, NARRO, PENGASSAN, PETROAN, NOGASSA, CANMPSSAN, TGTSSAN, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) etc, should not fall for the antics, manipulations and sentiments of NUPENG. There is no truth in the propaganda pushed by NUPENG that Dangote Group and MRS Holdings are engaged in anti-union practices, monopolistic agenda, or indecent industrial relations strategies.

    “These Labour organizations should ask NUPENG while it is currently frustrating, harassing, intimidating, sacking, arresting, suspending and suing to court both its paid staff and members over trumped-up charges. As we speak NUPENG took the national executives of PTD led by Comrade Lucky Osesua to Court, they are also in Court with the National Treasurer of the Union, Alex Agwanwor who they criminally violated his fundamental rights, recorded his private conversation with his friends and families, prevented him to freely associate and communicate.

    “NUPENG even maligned the image of the union when their leaders were slammed with contempt charges by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) and other courts of competent jurisdiction. The national leaders of NUPENG are currently faced with more than 50 court cases, not with Government or any organization in the industry though, but with their own staff and members. NUPENG is also fighting Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association (DTCDA) and the Association of Distributors and Transporters of Petroleum Products, (ADITOP), and these are also critical stakeholders in the oil and gas sector. Is that not ridiculous? That is the same union accusing Dangote of monopoly. These double standards should be condemned in its entirety.

    “We need to be fair as Nigerians by appreciating how Dangote group has outlined the major infrastructure moves in the country’s business climate, including the Petroleum industry downstream sector. Infact Dangote should be celebrated for taking the risk of purchasing 10,000 environmentally-friendly CNG trucks to make distribution of petroleum products seamless, effective and efficient without hiccups.

    “Those trucks will undoubtedly reduce the cost of diesel. They will reduce the fumes that come from burning diesel, will ensure faster delivery/journey times, less accidents, and guarantee supply reliability.

    “There is nothing like monopolisation in Dangote’s business, what we can see is better regulation and supply efficiency, The question Nigerians should ask is that have we had disruption since 2024? Dangote is practically taking off the entire Sub-Saharan African market. He exported 1.3 billion litres of petrol in June and July. For the first time, he exported petrol to the United States of America. The performance of the refinery speaks for itself, So the question is, has there been reliability of supply and assurance of supply? Dangote is supplying the market and there’s reliability. Government should consider the option of proscribing NUPENG instead of listening to their gibberish.”

  • Stop Making Capital Out Of Helicopter Crash, Redeem Your Image & End The Cracks In the Union- PTD Tells NUPENG

    Stop Making Capital Out Of Helicopter Crash, Redeem Your Image & End The Cracks In the Union- PTD Tells NUPENG

    The Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Branch of NUPENG has asked the President and General Secretary of the parent body to concentrate their energies on redeeming their battered image and putting an end to the lingering crisis in the union instead of making capital out of the misfortunes of oil and gas workers who were involved in the helicopter crash last week.

    A 79-year-old elder, Comrade Joseph Dagogo-Jack, in the Port Harcourt Zone of PTD, made the charge in a statement issued Sunday evening in Abuja.

    It was widely published that the unfortunate incident occurred at 11:22 a.m along the waterways in Port Harcourt on Thursday, October 24, 2024 when the helicopter, a Sikorsky SK76 with registration 5NBQG and operated by East Wind Aviation, took off from Port Harcourt Military Base (DNPM) to the FPSO – NUIMS ANTAN oil rig. A total of eight persons were on board but were all feared dead.

    According to Dagogo-Jack, “I was in faraway Spain to see my dentist when my personal assistant sent me a press release from NUPENG wherein the leadership of the Union commiserate with the families of oil and gas workers who lost their lives in a helicopter crash on Thursday in Port Harcourt. There is nothing wrong in that and as an individual who believes in the sanctity of life, I solemnly say may the souls of the departed continue to rest in perfect peace.

    “However what is expected of NUPENG’S General Secretary, Olawale Afolabi and the President, Williams Akporeha is to jointly concentrate on how to unite the union, especially PTD which is the only viable and surviving Branch; they should fix the cracks within it and drop all cases in court and allow a fresh breath by restoring leadership legitimacy on Comrade Lucky Osesua, Comrade Dayyabu Garga, Comrade (Chief) Peter Moudebelu (Onwa), Comrade Dr Humble Obinna Power and others. This will ultimately restore sanity in the Union and bring about progress and prosperity, which is the popular opinion of all the members and the elders in the Union. If NUPENG’s leadership can swallow their pride and do this, their lost integrity, honour and dignity would be fully restored.

    “Issuing press releases and statements and attempting to make capital out of every event and situation in the country which has no bearing with the union’s philosophy or interest would do them no good, it is purely a misplaced priority. For example, the victims of the helicopter crash were all PENGASSAN members, and that well-organized union, has responded appropriately. NUPENG has done nothing to uphold and defend the rights of its members who have been subjected to humiliation, casualization and servitude in the oil and gas industry, but NUPENG is always quick to make public appearances on TV and making paid adverts on newspapers, on inconsequential matters and abandoning serious issues that have direct bearing on the lives and livelihoods of their members who are paying check-off-dues.

    “Within NUPENG, many staff members have been sacked through trump-up charges; some were set up, many branches are completely destroyed, no cohesion, no policy direction, no standard no principles, all the legacies of the union’s founding fathers are totally ruined by one man. It is also on record that the General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, is always changing the Collective Bargaining Agreement of the staff, as well as the bye-laws and the constitution of the union to suit his selfish and unholy narratives. What happened to integrity? What happened to moral rectitude? Running a Union as big as NUPENG as private estate is very ridiculous to say the least.

    “It is, however, on record that Afolabi has no regard for the basic norms of human conduct. He lacks any self-awareness or self-scrutiny. He seems beyond embarrassment. The only moral and social compass he follows is his own false and fraudulent ideas about what is appropriate and inappropriate, shameful or deceitful.

    “I have said it before and will repeat it again that Afolabi has shown himself to be the brightest bulb in the box, criticising others but lacking the capacity to stomach criticism to put him on the right track, that is not leadership. So those who are associating themselves with him should have a re-think such that they would not soil their integrity and credibility in the eyes of the public, judiciary, law enforcement agencies and other industry stakeholders who are watching with keen attention and interest. May God restore stability and progress in PTD.”

  • Attempt By NUPENG To Mislead Court & Lie Under Oath Foiled As Court Fails To Sit

    Attempt By NUPENG To Mislead Court & Lie Under Oath Foiled As Court Fails To Sit

    The Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) has accused the leadership of its parent body, NUPENG of attempting to lie under oath and mislead the court through use of a witness who presented himself as someone who was purportedly assaulted in Calabar, Cross Rivers State during a peaceful National Branch Executive Council (BEC) meeting held by Comrade Lucky Osesua’s led group on 27th and 28th of September, 2024.

    The oil and gas Union described the attempt by the witness, who, in a dramatic twist, covered himself with a bandage on the instruction of those who tutored him, as headless and an infantile plot that was reckless and one that stood logic on its head. PTD added that NUPENG and their paid witness should know that “perjury qualifies as a serious crime against justice”. It is on record that several attempts through the prosecutors to revoke the bail graciously granted to Comrade Lucky Osesua and 19 others by his lordship, Hon. Justice Yusuf Halilu woefully failed.

    The “strange” witness according to PTD mysteriously appeared on Thursday, October 10, 2024 in Abuja Federal High Court during the continuation of trial of 20 PTD executives who are charged with attempted murder. But the witness who was apparently fidgeting, incoherent and lacking composure was shocked and further confused in front of those who paid him for the hatchet job, when they all saw that the trial Judge, Justice Yusuf Halilu was absent to continue the trial due to health challenges.

    While reacting to the ugly development in a chat with some journalists on Tuesday, October 15, 2024 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State at a popular hotel around Trans-Amadi Industrial Layout Road, an elder of the Union, Comrade Joseph Dagogo-Jack (JP) said every plot to circumvent justice against the interest of Comrade Lucky Osesua, Comrade Garga Dayyabu, Comrade (Chief) Peter Moudebelu (Onwa), Comrade Dr Humble Obinna Power and other national executives would never stand.

    “It is really appalling to see the leadership of NUPENG coming up with a cheap lie, in an attempt to subvert justice by lying under oath and trying to mislead the Honorable court by employing and paying a strange witness who mysteriously appeared in an open court with body covered with bandage for purportedly being assaulted in Calabar where we held our peaceful National Branch Executive Council meeting, a totally rancor-free assembly which ran smoothly for two days, between September 27th to 28th, 2024.

    “It is a big shame that the witness will be acting on the instruction of his paid masters who tutored him to commit perjury. This infamous and distasteful plot is headless, infantile, reckless, and one that stands logic on its head. The records are very clear that there was no incident of anyone being intentionally or recklessly inflicted with any bodily harm, not even altercation or heated arguments whatsoever, ensued between anyone throughout our BEC meeting in Calabar. NUPENG and its paid witness should know that perjury qualifies as a serious crime against justice and the consequences are very grievous under our criminal law. Statements given under oath are expected to carry truthfulness.

    “It is on record that we even wrote officially through our National Secretary, Comrade (Dr) Humble Obinna Power, notifying and inviting all security agencies consisting of the Commissioner of Police, Cross River State Police Command, the AIG NPF Zone 6 headquarters Calabar, the Director DSS, and the Commandant of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC), Cross River State Command to provide us with security personnel at the venue, Monty Suites Hotel, behind NPF Zone 6 Headquarters, Murtala Mohammed Highway, Calabar, so that they can be witnesses to our harmless discussions and ensure that there was no breakdown of law and order.

    “We also communicated to them that the gathering simply sought to inform members on the current position of the leadership crisis rocking our Branch, the steps taken so far, and to calm down the tensions and anxiety hanging in the air concerning the ongoing struggle. We further admonished the law enforcement agents that the meeting was essentially to encourage our members to be peaceful and law-abiding in all their conducts, conversations, and actions. The National Secretary also signed undertakings at the office of the AIG Zone 6 Calabar and the Commissioner of Police Cross River State Command that if anything goes wrong between 8am and 11am on the meeting day that he should be held accountable; to the glory of God, nothing went wrong up till this time.

    “In addition, we told our members at the meeting about the position of the litigations and legal processes filed at the court challenging the procedures and suspensions of members and assuring them that we will do everything possible within the ambit of the law to attain our goals and defend our legitimate rights, while also ensuring that our parent union, NUPENG, does the right thing and justice is served,” Dagogo-Jack stated.