NUPENG Warns On Bad Roads, Gridlocks

The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has warned that the persistent gridlock experienced by motorists and other road users on the Eleme Junction Interchange – Onne  axis of the East-West Road and the deplorable stretch of KM 16-17 on the Port Harcourt-Aba Road despite the ultimatum by tanker drivers for immediate rehabilitation could snowball into a crippling national socio-economic crisis.

NUPENG) also warned that severe gridlock at Apapa Wharf in Lagos, as a result of the bad sections of the road has turned into a national shame, and should be addressed as quickly as possible to stave off fuel scarcity in the country.

The National Industrial Relations Officer of NUPENG, Bassey Harry, in a chat with The Tide, regretted that the Federal Government was yet to respond to the strike ultimatum issued by tanker drivers over the Eleme/Onne axis of the East-West Road, and restated NUPENG’s support to tanker drivers on the issues.

His words: “We still maintain our position that we are going to withdraw our services because we cannot continue to risk the lives of our drivers and conductors as a result of the bad portions of these key roads to the survival of the nation’s economy.

“We have been asking for intervention over the years. However, any day we realise we can no longer endure the trauma we suffer on these roads, we may have no option than to withdraw our services,” Harry added.

He further stated that the roads have worsened due to the persistent heavy rain fall, and appealed to both the Federal Government and the Rivers State Governments to immediately mobilise contractors to fix the roads before tempers run high.

It would be recalled that the Elelenwo-Akpajo-Eleme-Onne stretch of the East-West Road was completely blocked early yesterday, causing serious traffic jam for between five to six hours for a journey of less than 10 minutes.

In an interview, motorists plying the route appealed to both state and federal governments to come to their rescue by rehabilitating the bad sections of the roads.

Similarly, NUPENG has expressed worry that the gridlock being experienced by petroleum tankers and articulated vehicles on Apapa-Wharf Road may result to fuel scarcity.

The South-West Chairman of the union, Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, said this in an interview with newsmen, in Lagos, yesterday.

Our source reports that the gridlock is due to ongoing reconstruction of the Apapa-Wharf Road

Korodo said that since the commencement of the reconstruction of the road, petroleum tanker drivers had been on cue, finding it difficult to gain access to the tank farms to get products.

Susan Serekara-Nwikhana