Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, has faulted plans by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), to engage in the importation of petroleum products into the country.

Speaking while commissioning NUPENG’s South-South zonal office complex in Port Harcourt, Governor Amaechi said the union should rather demand for the removal of subsidy on petroleum products, to allow private firms build refineries in Nigeria to check over dependence on imported products.

The governor disclosed that the present situation where the Federal Government spends about N600 billion subsidising petroleum products would not encourage investments in building refineries, stressing that if government removes subsidy, there would be competition in building refineries, and more people would be employed.

He blamed NUPENG leadership for abandoning the struggle against injustices, a role played by the founding fathers of the union, including people like Frank Kokori and joining the Nigerian state to perpetrate injustice on the people of the Niger Delta region by locating NUPENG’s headquarter office outside Niger Delta, in an area where oil is not produced.

According to him, “what is NUPENG’s Head Office doing in Lagos, when all the oil companies operate in Niger Delta. You should know what justice is all about, so, what is the struggle against unfair treatment, I think the struggle ended with people like comrade Kokori”.

The State Chief Executive, opined that the much-needed development of Nigeria would not be achieved without a vibrant opposition party and in this case, the labour unions.

The governor argued that the task of moving the country forward should not be left in the hands of the government of the day, as concerted efforts should be made to uplift the genuine struggle, because the interest of the nation supersedes individual gain.

“I believe Nigeria can change, we have the resources to make the change if we govern well”, Governor Amaechi declared, while calling on all stakeholders to do their best for the country to bring about the desired change, and position Nigeria as the giant of Africa.

Governor Amaechi congratulated the leadership of NUPENG for the achievement within a short time in office and promised to provide a power generating plant at the new NUPENG office in Port Harcourt and a bus to the union for their operation.

Also speaking, the Group Managing Director of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr Austen Oninwo, represented by Mr Tony Ogbuigwe, lauded the leadership of NUPENG and promised continued cooperation with the body as the NNPC plans to build more refineries in the country to ensure increased production of petroleum products.

The President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, commended Governor Amaechi for honouring the invitation, and for the various achievements recorded by his administration in education, health and road infrastructure which according to him, is a testimony that Rivers people did not make mistake in electing him to serve them.

Earlier, the President of NUPENG, Comrade Igwe Achese, said the union frowns at the current hike in prices of kerosene and diesel, adding that NUPENG had concluded plans to build petrol stations across the nation as talks were on to begin the importation of petroleum products with a foreign partnership.

Governor Amaechi was presented with NUPENG’s Eminent Individual Award, for outstanding achievements in leadership.

Meanwhile, workers in the oil and gas sector last Saturday vowed to go ahead with their planned strike if companies in the downstream sector fail to recall their sacked members.

The workers spoke in Lagos under the aegis of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).

Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, President, South-West branch of NUPENG, told newsmen that the companies had continued to sack their members and refused them to be unionised.

“The management of M.R.S oil and gas sacked 36 of our members because they were unionised,” he said.

He said that the management of Shell Petroleum Development Company through its subsidiary SNEPCO, also sacked 15 of its workers without paying their entitlements.

Korodo said it was regrettable that the companies failed to respect the Nigerian constitution that guarantees freedom of association.

He said that the Nigeria Agip Oil Company had also concluded arrangements to sack more workers “two months after it laid off hundreds of workers.”

“The number of people they sacked two months ago has populated the already unemployed market and this is contrary to the Federal Government’s efforts to curb unemployment.

“The situation is sad because the union had agreed with the management of Agip that workers will not be sacked again till further notice.

“Another issue is that workers in LFA oil and gas, a subsidiary of Chevron Nigeria Limited was asked to join the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW),” he said.

According to him, the LFA ordered the workers to join NURTW instead of NUPENG when they insisted on belonging to a union.

“ How can they ask oil workers to join NURTW? We are kicking against it and we will continue to protect the interest of our members till justice prevail,’’ the union leader said.

Korodo, who did not disclose the date for the strike, said they did not want to disrupt the general elections, that was why they waited till now.

He blamed the scarcity of kerosene on the failure of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to supply the product.

“People are scrambling for kerosene because the Ibadan, Shagamu and Ilorin depots which belong to NNPC are not loading kerosene,’’ he said.

He said that the union members were ready to work as soon as the depots were loaded with kerosene.