The National Chairman of Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Branch of NUPENG, Comrade Lucky Osesua, has cautioned drivers across the 4 zones of the union not to be taken in by the gambit of the General Secretary of NUPENG, Afolabi Olawale, on the reintroduction and launch of the health insurance scheme.
Osesua said that he was the brain behind the programme, which he had earlier introduced to the drivers as the Branch Chairman.
Osesua, on behalf of the Branch, urged PTD members to critically assess the current situations instead of falling for Afolabi’s rhetoric in the mainstream and social media.
He said they should make up their minds and take informed decisions about their welfare, health, life, wellbeing and livelihoods and never allow anyone to negatively alter their destinies by flaunting a caricature of the original idea.
Osesua, in a widely circulated press release, signed by him and the National Secretary, Comrade Humble Obinna Power, said the scheme under his leadership sought to address the welfare, well-being, life and livelihoods of all members of the Branch who traverse the length and breadth of the country on wheels.
He, however, expressed regrets that the scheme was now shrouded in secrecy, adding that signatories had been changed and there was no more transparency and accountability in it, contrary to the initial scheme, which was in the best interest and welfare of the drivers on wheels and principal officers of the Union.
“The attention of the National leadership of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Branch of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has been drawn to the offer of the General Secretary of the Union, Afolabi Olawale and the President, Williams Akporeha to launch and reintroduce an existing health insurance scheme which was introduced by me earlier in my tenure, but unfortunately the duo have deliberately manipulated the health insurance scheme, making it so obnoxious for our members to key into, due to the regime of multiple taxes, levies and rates being introduced at various depots and loading stations.
“Putting the records straight, my humble self and my deputy, Comrade Dayyabu Yusuf Garga alongside the entire executives introduced the health insurance scheme for our drivers to have a new lease of life and access to quality and affordable health care in any part of the country once they tender their automated identity cards which contain their biometrics.
“Afolabi Olawale cannot try to take the credit as though the initiative was his brainchild. What they are doing currently lacks acceptability, consultation, education or due process; they are only using coercive force to lure our members into it, which is against the good intent of the health insurance scheme.
“Our reaction underscores the lack of attraction in the NUPENG programmes and policies which ostensibly lack direction, sincerity and purpose as it is being orchestrated by the current leadership under Afolabi Olawale (General Secretary) and Williams Akporeha (President) which is an admittance of their usual disaster in what they tagged “Health Insurance for Petroleum Tanker Drivers on the Wheel.”
“We therefore urge our members to take informed decisions about their welfare, health, life, wellbeing, and livelihoods and never allow anyone to negatively alter their destinies through dubious and questionable scheme.
“My humble self, my deputy Comrade Dayyabu Yusuf Garga and the entire constitutionally-recognised and legitimate national executives of PTD Branch of NUPENG are aware that National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is one of the health financing options adopted by Nigeria for improved healthcare access especially to the low income earners.
“One of the key operators of the scheme is the health care providers. Thus, their uptake of the scheme is fundamental to the survival of the scheme. But laughably, Afolabi, as usual, was attempting to take credit for it while also trying to reinvent the wheel. This is most ridiculous and unthinkable.
“However, we have gathered hard facts from impeccable sources that Afolabi who is now driving the process only redesigned it to further impoverish our members because the intention is reactionary and also serve as a Greek gift to hoodwink our members, but little did he know that our members have made up their minds not to fall for his anti union antics and extortionist tendencies.
“It is therefore imperative for us to state clearly that the scheme which is set to kick off on Thursday, December 14, 2023 was only hurriedly reintroduced to launder Afolabi’s already battered image and to seek empathy from our members as he craves for recognition, acceptance and legitimacy. READ ALSO:
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“For those who know Afolabi, he is such an individual who doesn’t have any track record or history of making people happy but rather he derives pleasure in inflicting hardship and pains on people for selfish and greedy intents.
“We are still surprised why the General Secretary of our parent union will be among signatories to PTD’s bank accounts, especially the one for the health insurance scheme and others. This is the first time this will be happening; it is alien to our byelaws and extant rules, and moreso, there are more than a hundred other branches both in formal and informal sectors; why is he investing so much passion and interest in the goose that lays the golden egg: the PTD Branch?”
“In the light of the above, we passionately appeal to all our members to remain steadfast and law abiding by showing solidarity with us as we continue in the struggle to restore decency, sanity, constitutional democratic process and rule of law; and more importantly to bring back dignity to our labour in order to revive our socio-economic fortunes as well as freedom and pride. Thank you all, and God bless you.
