…Union targets zero accident rate

Since January 17, 2017, 4,500 tanker drivers across the country have been undergoing training on safety at the wheel. The five week-programme, organised by the national body, the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) arm of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), was meant to curb the high incidence of accidents involving tanker drivers on Nigerian highways.

The programmed  ran simultaneously in the four PTD designated zones, Lagos, Warri, Kaduna and Port Harcout.

The Lagos zone, due to its position and population, had 1,500 drivers, the highest number in training, while other zones trained 1,000 each to bring the total to 4,500.

At the commencement of the programme, the Lagos zonal secretary of NUPENG, Tokunbo Korodo, emphasised that it was primarily aimed at reducing the high rate of accidents associated with petroleum tanker drivers on the nation’s highway through orientation as well as equipping them with the latest information on safety while discharging their responsibilities.

“This is the initiative of the national chairman, who also started his career as a driver, he believed that death on the road caused by tanker drivers could be reduced if they were enlightened on the safety standards of their jobs,” he said.

National Chairman of the PTD, Salmon Oladiti, reflecting on the reason for the training, at the closing ceremony, lamented the incessant accidents associated with tanker drivers across the country and its effects on life and property.

He said, “I always shed tears anytime there is tanker accident; I always find it difficult to sleep as well, because of the loss of lives and property that will definitely be involved.

“Tanker accident always results in economic loss as well as loss of lives.

“This is the reason I have to call my people together so that we can start training our drivers on how to curb road accidents.

“The Port Harcourt Zone concluded training of 1,000 tanker drivers some days ago. The Warri Zone training will commence by next week while we are concluding training of 1,500 drivers in Lagos.

“ I believe that, with this training, our members will conduct themselves (better) on the road and we will have zero accidents.”

The PTD chairman, who said he started his career with only primary six school leaving certificate but is now a graduate, urged the drivers to take advantage of the training to make changes in their lives.

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“When you have an opportunity like this training, you have to make use of it.

“If you can train yourself again, you can achieve more in life,’’ he advised the drivers.

Oladiti told the drivers that the union was working with the employers’ body, National Association of Road Transport Owner (NARTO), on the welfare of drivers, towards increasing their salary.

He, hwever, noted that this might be impossible, if government fails to increase the freight rate.

“Let’s not forget the issue of freight rate; if there is no increase, I’m telling you that most tanker owners will abandon their trucks. As we speak, a tanker tyre is now N110,000. How can the owner make his money if there is no review of freight rate? It is a must, if government wants the products to be available everywhere,” he said.

Emphasising the importance of training, Oladiti stated that the union had decided to run another training in September and to expand the numbers of beneficiaries.

Earlier, the Deputy Chairman PTD, Lagos zonal council, Saheed Adigun, said the training centred on safe driving and vehicle maintenance, as well as health of the drivers conducted by law enforcement agencies like the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Vehicle Inspection Services (VIS), Fire Service, Civil Defence, LASTMA in Lagos and Ogun State TRACE and a medical officer,  had impacted positively on the tanker drivers.

He noted that 300 drivers were trained each week in Lagos and, at the end of the training, each driver was issued a certificate, adding that the certificate would soon be a requisite to load at the depots.

He said, “We started the training last year and so far we can say that the accidents involving tanker drivers have reduced drastically by about 50 per cent. We believe that we need to train and re-train our members across the country. If we don’t train them, they may misbehave and cause havoc along our highways.

“I believe the training will create a very big impact on the attitude of members on the highway. Our target is to reduce, if not totally eradicate, frequent tanker accidents on the highway because, if a tanker gets involved in an accident, it is going to cause a lot of damage to people and properties. We are training them because they are the ones that have interface with the vehicles and other road users.

“I am so pleased and can boldly say that the efforts of the union so far have not been in vain. Our members are getting more mature and responsible on the roads. It shows our campaign on safety on wheels is yielding the desired results.

“We are happy that we are not only oiling the economic wheel of this nation, we are doing it in such a way that we put the safety of lives and property of Nigerians above personal gains and we spare no cost to achieve this important goal.”

A medical practioner, Dr. Adekanbi Taiwo, in his lecture, cautioned the driver against driving when tired, as it was advisable to rest every four hours while on a long-distance journey because most vital organs could be damaged while sitting for long hours.