The Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) unit of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Rivers State Chapter, has threatened strike action if the state government fails to intervene in the face-off between the union and a senior personnel of the Nigerian Army.

The union’s chairman at the Port Harcourt Refinery Depot, Alesa-Eleme, Comrade John Amauoyi told The Tide yesterday at his office, Alesa-Eleme, yesterday, that an army officer of the rank of Lt Col (name withheld) led his men (team of the Joint Military Taskforce, JTF) based at Okochiri in Okrika Local Government Area of the state, to allegedly puncture 18 Michelin Tyres of parked tankers belonging to the union members, who were waiting for the green light to load products at the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) depot.

He said each of the tyres cost the union members N100.000 to purchase, stressing that owners of the tyres need their replacement to facilitate effective movement and distribution of petroleum products in the Rivers State and its neighbouring states.

Comrade Amauoyi said the union was surprised at the brazen and lawless attitude and behavior of the officer and his men, stressing that the PTD had formally reported to the Army authorities in the state for action to avert deterioration of the situation and the imminent consequences of the withdrawal of their services.

Amauoyi said the national leadership of the union had taken over the matter with the relevant authorities, and hoped that a resolution of the impasse would be achieved as quickly as possible.

He also appealed to the state government to urgently intervene to avoid any unpleasant consequences of unnecessary industrial action by the union in the state.

But while reacting to the looming crisis, the Public Relations Officer, 2nd Amphibious Brigade, Nigerian Army, Bori Camp, Port Harcourt, Major Michael Etete, denied knowledge of any incident involving Army personnel responsible to the command and the PTD unit of NUPENG.

Speaking in a telephone interview yesterday, Major Etete said that Army detachments deployed outside the Bori Camp report daily to the Brigade authorities in Port Harcourt, claiming that no such report of any face-off with tanker drivers had been received from any of the parties.

Meanwhile, following the threats of the tanker drivers, the fuel supply situation in Port Harcourt and its environs appears to be worsening as most filling stations were under lock and key yesterday while the few dispensing petroleum products, did so at very exhorbitant prices, with long queues disrupting traffic flow on major roads.

Philip Okparaji