By: Admin
The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, Ibrahim Magu has warned Petroleum Tanker Drivers of the Nigeria
Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers( NUPENG) in the Niger Delta
area, to steer clear of products diversion and collusion with illegal
oil bunkerers.
He gave the warning on Monday, April 29, 2019 through the Port
Harcourt’s Zonal Head of the EFCC, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, when
Executives of Petroleum Tanker Drivers of NUPENG paid him a Courtesy
Visit.
According to him, tanker drivers are increasingly getting involved in
illegal oil bunkering crimes through product diversions and carriage of
illegal petroleum products.
“Your members are being used for illegal diversion of products. Your
organization is protecting criminals from being arrested and this is
worrisome. Your organization, NUPENG is known for comradeship, not
collusion. Right now, we have over 500 Trucks in our custody for
investigation and possible prosecution on illegal oil bunkering. This is
not good enough. You must desist from this practice”, he said.
Magu charged the drivers to come forward with modalities of tackling
illegal movements of their trucks in order to stem the tide of daily
arrests.
“You can come up with how to monitor movements of your trucks. You can
look into tracking of your trucks. It is obvious that those illegal oil
bunkers refining illegal products are in business because they are sure
that your members are available to convey the products”, he said.
He also tasked the drivers to key into the whistle blowing policy of the
government by offering useful information to the EFCC on the activities
of drivers suspected to be fraudulent.
In his response, Chairman of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers, Comrade
Ezenwa Kingsley, expressed appreciation to the EFCC for the visit. He
explained that NUPENG had never supported any of its members involved in
products diversion or collusion with illegal oil bunkers.
“In all our meetings, we have a policy that the union can never cover up
or associate with anyone caught in any illegality. We made billboards
of culprits of product diversion. We have a Task Force checking any form
of infraction by our members. Once you are caught, we will bring you
out”, he said. Another member of the delegation to the EFCC, Comrade
Moses Benibo said that his union was becoming helpless over the
activities of the rouge drivers because ” there are big shots involved
in the business of products diversion and our lives could be at risk if
we tackle them on our own”.
