Fuel scarcity looms as truck drivers withdraw services

There is an impending fuel scarcity as truck owners have announced plans to suspend transportation of petroleum products across the country, beginning from today, Tuesday.
The truck owners had last week, issued a seven-day ultimatum within which to withdraw their services over alleged unpaid bridging claims and reduction of freight rate paid to its members by the Petroleum Equalisation Fund, PEF.

Leaderships of the National Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO, and the Petroleum Tanker Drivers, PTD, branch of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, who addressed a join press conference on Monday threatened to withdraw their services at the expiration of the ultimatum.

National President of NARTO, Alhaji Kassim Ibrahim Bataiya, who was assisted by PTD’s Comrade salimon Olatidi at the media briefing, requested that the management board of the PEF must immediately commence the full payment of transporters’ claims.

Alhaji Bataiya asked the management board of PEF to immediately commence the full payment of transporters’ claims as well as the accumulated outstanding claims in respect of the period January 1, 2011 to May 11, 2016 at the rate applicable from 2011 to December 31, 2015.

He further asked the PEF management board to urgently conclude the review of the freight rate from May 12, 2016 to date, in accordance with the bridging fund approved by the government.