The Nigeria Union of Petroleum Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has dismissed insinuations of planned protest by members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), branch of the Union, urging the public to disregard such news and not to panic.

In a statement by its General-Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, NUPENG described the move as a rumour and that it is the handiwork of desperate individuals aimed at creating panic in the public to cause artificial scarcity.

According to the statement, “The leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers and the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch of the Union are hereby informing the general public that there is no plan whatsoever by the Petroleum Tanker Drivers to embark on any protest.

“There is no division in the Union as some desperate individuals and their sponsors want to project. The information is false and unfounded.

“This clarification is compelled in view of the attention of the leadership of both the NUPENG and PTD Branch of the Union that was drawn to this very misleading, mischievous and unfounded online news of the purported protest of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers across the country.

“The news item is false, unfounded and should be ignored. It is intended to create panic in the public and cause artificial scarcity.

“All the Petroleum Tanker Drivers are fully committed to the national services of effective and efficient distribution of petroleum products across the country.

“We earnestly call on the security agencies to urgently fish out the writer of this very misleading and panic-creating news items and make him face the full wrath of the law if he or she cannot prove the source and authority of the fake news item which is very capable of creating social upheaval and security concerns.”