9th May, 2012
The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) on Tuesday requested the Lagos State Government to publish details of tankers it claimed it impounded on Apapa- Oshodi Expressway.
Alhaji Tokunboh Korodo, the Chairman of the Southwest chapter of the union, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the alleged arrest of 60 tankers could not be true.
The state government on Monday said it had impounded 60 tankers parked indiscriminately on the Apapa-Oshodi expressway after the expiration of the deadline given to them to leave the road.
Korodo said that the union had not received any complaint of impounded truck from any of its members, describing the government pronouncement as propaganda.
He said that the union had instructed its members to desist from parking their trucks on the expressway and that they had complied.
“We have not recorded any case of our vehicles being impounded since yesterday (Monday) which shows that the state government pronouncement is all propaganda.
“We have duly informed our members not to park on the expressway and they have complied,” he said.
Korodo advised the state government to provide suitable parking places for trucks.
He warned that there could be another round of fuel crisis if the tanker trucks were not provided convenient places to park.
The NUPENG chairman said that the Lagos State Government should come up with official statement if tankers drivers were no longer needed in Lagos so that they could relocate to other states.
He said that the relocation of tankers elsewhere would help to restore the Apapa-Oshodi expressway to its former glory.
On the usage of the truck park in Ogere, Korodo said that the place had not been officially handed over to the union, adding that the union was willing to move into the park any time.
He said that several presentations had been made to the state government to release the park to the union, but to no avail, adding that the place was still under lock and keys.