At last, the strike by the petroleum tanker drivers has  been called off after the curious payment of  the sum of N 2. 7 million to the Lagos state government . The strike  brought untold hardship to commuters in Lagos and its environs, as scarcity of petroleum products caused long queues at filling stations while the black  market boomed, with  four-litre keg of petroleum sold for N1,500..Another report said N4 million was paid to facilitate the end of the strike.The State government released the impounded 27 trucks after paying the sum of N2.7 million fines to the coffers of the state.

The Secretary General of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, Mr. Tokunbo Korodo said that tanker drivers decided to call off after the intervention of the federal government through the NNPC.
Korodo said that the strikes ought not to have reached this stage but the state government was  not showing any interest in dialogue with the NUPENG on the issue

He said that NUPENG understood  and felt for the general public but the state government was not forthcoming to open up discussion on the matter for reconciliation.Korodo comfirmed to NAN correspondent that the N2.7 million paid to the state government may have been paid by the federal government  in order to allow  the tanker drivers  to commence their work.

``we are not aware of who paid the money what I am know is that all our trucks impounded have been released and we shall commence work immediately.

`` Today, it is either we are harassed for parking on top of the bridge; at another time,it would be that a tanker does not have a side mirror, the harassment and financial  losses to LASTMA have become intolerable, Korodo said

The Special Assistant to the Governor of Lagos on Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa,  confirmed that the 27 trucks seized had been released to the tanker drivers.

Opeifa also confirmed that the fines in the sum of N 2.7 million had been paid  while urging them to desist from such acts of packing illegally on the high way.

He explained that some tanker drivers had macheted some LASTMA officials and smashed the windscreens of a number of patrol vehicles during the arrest. He said that the action of the state government was to protect the interest of the  majority of the Lagos residents. He added that nobody was  above the law and the constitution of the country, while he said that the government showdown became necessary to check the excesses of the tanker drivers once and for all. He said that it would be suicidal to allow the will of a few tanker drivers to override the collective interests of the general public.