Comrade Afolabi Commends PTD for Training Drivers, Says Initiative Yielding Positive Results
The Deputy General Secretary (DGS) of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) in charge of Operations, Comrade Afolabi Olawale on Monday (Oct. 22, 2018) advised the Petroleum Tanker Driver (PTD) to adhere strictly to safety standards.
Comrade Afolabi gave the advice during a National Safety Training organised by the Lagos State chapter of PTD.
He said adhering to roads safety standards was the only antidote to frequent accidents and tankers explosions within city centres and on major roads.
He commended NUPENG PTD under the leadership of Comrade (Otunba) Akanni Salimon Oladiti for conducting timely and regular training for their drivers, even as he tasked the drivers to appreciate safety strategies at all times.
The DGS who is also a key facilitator at the training said at the end of the five day training (Monday Oct. 22 to 26, 2018), each driver who participated in the training would have been effectively equipped with relevant information that would make them to be efficient and resourceful in their chosen career.
“I believe the training will create a very big impact on the attitude of tanker drivers on the highway. Without contradiction training like this will help 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. PTD must therefore be commended for training their members because they are the ones that have interface with the vehicles and other road users,” he said.
He added that the programme would also address other challenges associated with tanker drivers.
“I am so pleased today and can boldly say that the efforts of NUPENG so far have not been in vain. We have recorded almost no major accidents this year and according to the records and statistics of FRSC road fatalities occasioned by tanker drivers have reduced drastically, this is good news for us as a Union. 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,” he stated
Comrade Afolabi however called on all stakeholders to be alive to their responsibilities and work for the good of the nation especially the oil and gas value chain which is the key driver of Nigeria’s economy.
