Tony Osauzo, Benin
The spill-over effect of alleged shutting down of Gulf Treasures Limited Petrol Depot in Lagos caused hardship for hundreds of commuters who were stranded yesterday at Okpella on the busy Okpella-Okene-Abuja highway as the people of the community trooped out in their hundreds to protest in solidarity with the owner of the Petrol Depot, Mr. Sunday Dekeri, said to be an illustrious son of Okpella.
The company’s bulk petroleum storage depot located in Apapa, was reportedly shutdown since September 24, by the Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTD) following a disagreement arising from alleged imposition of union executives on the company drivers by the management.
The protesters, who carried placards with various inscriptions, described as unlawful closure of the company’s bulk petroleum product storage depot even as they blocked the highway, thereby disrupting vehicular movement on the highway.
Spokesman for the protesters, Mr Kadiri Eshiomomoh, said the shutdown of the company amounted to injustice, as it had led to the cutting off of supply of petroleum products to its filling stations across the country.
“This protest is in solidarity with our illustrious son, Mr. Sunday Dekeri, whose company in Lagos was shutdown by the Petroleum Tankers Drivers. The protest is to fight against injustice on our son who is from this community. All we are saying is that the PTD should re-open the company so that Gulf Treasures Limited can continue their petrol business”, he said.
He, therefore, called on the Federal Government and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers ( NUPENG) to intervene on the matter, without delay so that the company could resume its operation.
“We are calling on the Federal Government and NUPENG to intervene on the injustice being meted on our illustrious son who has created job opportunities for over 1,000 people in the community. We will not accept it and we will resist it”, Eshiomomoh said.