NUPENG BIDS FAREWELL TO A TITAN, COMRADE AUGUSTINE EGBON (JP): CELEBRATION, TEARS, TRIBUTES, AND TANKERS PARKED AS UNION PAYS LAST RESPECTS TO A FEARLESS LEADER
BENIN CITY, Edo State – January 10, 2026: The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) observed a day of solemn tribute and reflection as it laid to rest its National Chairman of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Branch, the late Comrade Augustine Osamwonyi Egbon (JP).
In an unprecedented display of respect, the operational heartbeat of the nation’s fuel distribution network paused. Petroleum tanker drivers across the country voluntarily parked their vehicles to attend the funeral service, transforming the usual bustle of highways into a silent homage.
Thousands of union members gathered at the E.B.S field in Ikpoba Hill, their ranks a sea of union colours, to honour a leader described as the embodiment of solidarity, service, and sacrifice. The ceremony was attended by the full spectrum of NUPENG leadership, including Comrade Williams Akporeha, National President; Comrade Afolabi Olawale, General Secretary; Otunba Salimon Akanni Oladiti, National Trustee; and Comrade Malut Abubakar, the Acting PTD National Chairman, alongside Zonal Chairmen, Branch Executives, and members from veterans to new drivers.
In his address, Comrade Williams Akporeha commiserated with the Egbon family, the PTD Branch, and the people of Edo State. To immortalise the late chairman’s legacy, he announced the renaming of the Warri PTD Zonal Secretariat to the Comrade Augustine Egbon PTD Zonal Secretariat, Warri.
Comrade Malut Abubakar, in his tribute, echoed the sentiment of a monumental loss, describing Comrade Egbon as a great leader whose contributions to national development were immense.
The late chairman’s four-decade journey within the union traced the path of the very drivers he led. Rising from the driver’s seat, he ascended through the ranks—serving as Unit Chairman, Zonal Financial Secretary, Branch Vice Chairman, Warri Zone Chairman—before his election as National Chairman in October 2023. He was widely recognized as a builder and a tireless advocate, notably overseeing the construction of the PTD Zonal Secretariat in Warri, a permanent symbol of his vision for a unified and empowered membership.
His legacy was celebrated as one that fortified the union and amplified the voice of workers in the informal sector. Representatives from sister organisations, including the NARTO, IPMAN, SUTAKEP, LPGAR, PSW, and IMB, were present in solidarity.
As Comrade Augustine Egbon was laid to rest, the union reaffirmed that his life’s work continues in the strengthened resolve of its members. The tankers will return to the roads, but the memory of his leadership will endure for every mile travelled.
