Chief (Mrs.) Blessing Dafinone of Petroleum Tanker Drivers, PTD, branch of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, Warri Zone, has called for open secret ballot to be used during the conference of the union to be held in Lagos, first week of July.
Dafinone who is an Elder in the zone alleged that threats are being made against delegates for the forth coming National Delegates Conference of the union to comply or face forceful exit from the union by some powers that be in the union.
She told Journalists in Lagos that clandestine moves to foist members to make choices against their wishes is totally unacceptable to majority of its membership.
According to her, “For this PTD election to be free, fair, credible, transparent and acceptable, it’s conduct must be done with the use of an open secret ballot, which every delegate will write their choice on a piece of paper so that no one else knows how they have voted.
“As we speak, there are complaints of intimidation and victimization of delegates and the only way to curb that will be through open secret ballot, without fear or favor. They should please not send us back to the trenches.”
She lamented that a union, which had time without number accused management of different oil and gas companies in the country of stopping their members from being willfully unionized, is the same union that is foisting on its members to make choices against their wishes.
“They are also building forces to support some particular candidates and threatening delegates to comply or face forceful exit from the union and this is not only unacceptable but criminal in nature.”
“The judiciary has given the PTD Branch of NUPENG a fresh opportunity to reelect its new national executives that will reflect the wishes and support of the majority without rancor and this has been scheduled for Wednesday, July 3, 2024. Therefore, no element within PTD or NUPENG must be allowed to truncate this process. All interested parties must perish their biases, sentiments or desperation. Power belongs to God and He is the only one that gives it, no matter how anyone struggles to get it.
It is really disappointing to hear that in Lagos Zone for example, identity cards belonging to Zonal Executives who are supposed to be delegates or eligible voters on the day of election have been forcefully retrieved from them by the Zonal Chairman, Saheed Gbolahan Adigun, and these grown up union executives are also being compelled to be sleeping in the Zonal secretariat against their wishes.
“This is abduction in disguise. The psychological and emotional trauma currently being experienced by them is totally unbearable, and this is unfortunately making them to feel less human and completely depressed and unhappy. This intimidation must stop, you don’t foist leadership on people, from all indications these power mongers have learnt no lesson, which is a total affront on the rule of law.”
