Alex Enumah in Abuja
The President of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Williams Akporeha, has said the union has not in any way used the police and court to settle union matters.
Akporeha made the claim yesterday, at the resumed trial of alleged attempted homicide of some former executives of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of NUPENG before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The police had dragged a one-time PTD National Chairman, Lucky Osesua, and 21 others before the court on a five-count charge bordering attempted murder, breach of peace and assault in the charge, marked FCT/HC/CR/042/2023.
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The defendants were alleged to have on November 1, 2023 attacked Akporeha; the Union’s Secretary-General, Olawale Afolabi and the new PTD National Chairman, Augustine Egbon, thus acting in a manner likely to cause their death, among others, offences.
Other defendants included were Dayyabu Garga, Humble Obinna, Akinolu Olabisi, Godwin Nwaka, Tiamiu Sikiru, Abdulmimin Shaibu, John Amajuoyi, Zaira Aregbo, Patrick Erhivwor, Stephen Ogheneruemu, Gift Ukponku, Sunday Ezeocha and seven others.
They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
At the resumed hearing which was the cross-examination of the president by defence counsel, Christopher Oshomegie, SAN, the witness told the court that NUPENG had about 150 branches which PTD was one, adding that there was no issue of one group against another in the union.
“It is not correct that one group is using the police and court against another to settle union matter. I am the national president of the union (NUPENG); I over see everybody.
“NUPENG is one body and there are no groups. NUPENG has about 150 branches which PTD is one of them. The issue of one group against another does not arise,” he said.
Akporeha, who is the second Prosecution Witness (PW2) in the case, informed the court that the union conducted PTD executive elections in June, 2022, in Ibadan, where the first defendants, Lucky Osesua and Dayyabu Garga, among others, emerged winners but the National Industrial Court, sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, nullified the elections.
“After the first election was nullified, the court directed that another election be conducted. This was conducted but some of them (defendants) went to court and the court also nullified the second election. “After this, NUPENG conducted another election in Ibadan, while some people also conducted another illegal election in Abuja. It is NUPENG that is supposed to conduct election. The one the court directed to be supervised by NUPENG was conducted in Ibadan,” he told the court.
