News
TUC Blames FG For Oil Industry Job Losses
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has heaped the blame for the crisis rocking the upstream and downstream oil and gas industry, which has forced 150,000 workers into unemployment market, on Federal Government’s lack of political will to address frontally the many challenges in the critical sector of the economy.
Chairman, TUC, Rivers State chapter, Comrade Chika Onuegbu, who spoke in Port Harcourt, regretted that although the low oil price was a global challenge, the inability of successive governments since 2000 to conclude reforms in the oil and gas sector, and pass the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), was a major local problem that has negatively impacted the industry.
Onuegbu said: “the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), has repeatedly expressed worries over the increasing challenges in the nation’s oil and gas sector, which have led to the loss of 150,000 workers between 2013 and February, 2016″, and government has yet to do anything concrete to save the situation form worsening.
The TUC chairman said that the oil and gas industry has been on a standstill for years due to the inability of government to re-negotiate long expired agreements with industry operators, including joint venture partners, while outstanding labour-related issues have not been addressed, adding that this has no doubt delayed huge foreign direct investments in the sector.
According to him, virtually all JV and Production Sharing Contracts have expired without any serious effort to put new legal frameworks in place to guide operations of the industry. Consequently, oil production and gas regimes have stagnated, thereby adding little or no new value to the nation’s development process.
Onuegbu said: “PENGASSAN is disturbed by the undue delay in the dispensation of justice by the National Industry Court (NLC), prevalence of unfair labour practices and abuse of trade union rights in the oil and gas industry.
“We are also against some companies that have invented nomenclatures such as Individual Contract Agreement (ICA), Secondee, no solicitation, among others, aimed at preventing workers from exercising their constitutional rights to join trade unions and bargain collectively.
“These have led to the sack of 150,000 workers in the oil and gas industry and adversely increased the high rate of criminality, while unleashing untold hardship on the citizenry,” he said.
He linked the persistent scarcity of refined petroleum products to neglect of the refineries by successive governments over the years, adding that the problem of insecurity has increased cost of doing business in Nigeria.
Onuegbu charged government to make the refineries work again, and encourage the building of more refineries and petrochemical plants to boost the diversification of the economy.
The TUC boos also challenged government to fulfil its core mandate to the people by ensuring the security of lives and property so as to reduce the cost of doing business in Nigeria, and create opportunities for employment generation and youth empowerment for economic growth.
He urged the federal and state governments in the Niger Delta region, to quickly intervene and bring pressure to bear on the oil companies to forestall looming strikes and other forms of industrial action which could worsen the already difficult operating environment in the state and country.
Onuegbu warned that if urgent steps are not taken to address the many challenges, the nation’s oil and gas sector could face imminent collapse.
Susan Serekara-Nwikhana
News
Mba Seeks Closer Synergy To Check Road Accidents
Worried over the high rate of accidents on Nigerian roads, resulting in the death of hundreds of thousands of people, the Governor of Enugu State, Barr Peter Mbah, has called for closer synergy and cooperation among security agencies to check the ugly trend and ensure safety on all the roads within the country.
Governor Mbah, made the call in an address at the Graduation Ceremony of Senior Course 2 of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Command and Staff College, Udi near Enugu.
Represented by the state Commissioner for Information, Chief Aka Eze Aka, governor Mbah noted that closer security and intelligence sharing on incidents on roads within the country by various security formations and agencies both military and para-military would lead to greater security and safety of lives and property on roads.
He stated that the state government had keyed into the FRSC vision of reduction in road crashes and fatalities, adding that it had equipped the state traffic officers with the same set targets.
“As an administration, we are making all efforts to fix and improve on all roads and road infrastructure within the state; while we are calling on the Federal Government to do the same.
“Our partnership with the FRSC for training and retraining of our road traffic officers will continue and be strengthened so that as a state it will also build its own capacity to deal with road traffic issues and challenges,” he said.
Governor Mbah, however, congratulated the graduating participants of the course, while commending the FRSC management for being in the forefront of raising the standard and quality of its staff.
According to him, “my administration will continue to partner with the FRSC and strengthen existing engagements of mutual benefits”.
Earlier, the FRSC Corps Marshal, Dauda Biu, said that the event was significant to the Corps as it marked its commitment to continuously improve its educational and operational standard and capacity.
Biu, represented by the Deputy Corps Marshal (DCM) Bisi Kazeem, who is in-charge of FRSC Training, said that the Corps was building resiliency and increasing its service delivery capacity by equipping its officers with quality and international standard training.
By: Canice Amadi Enugu
News
PDP Opobo/Nkoro Hails Fubara On Peace, Projects
Stakeholders of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Opobo/ Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State have commended the state Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara for his disposition that has fostered peace in the State.
Rising from an expanded stakeholders meeting last Saturday in Opobo Town, the body in an eight-point communique signed by its Chairman, Hon. Benneth Daminabo, Chairman of Council, Rt. Hon. Enyiada Cookey-Gam and LG party Chairman, Warisenibo Godwin Pepple commended the governor for linking Opobo/Nkoro LGA to the national grid.
In addition, it lauded the effort of the governor in pursuing the 50.15 kilometre Dual Carriage Ring Road, Elelenwo internal road, Aleto-Ebubu-Eteo Road in Eleme and Andoni Road projects.
Despite the distractions, the stakeholders said they were impressed that the governor had equally done projects in health-the unveiling of Prof. Kelsey Harrison Hospital, Agric projects at Tai and Oyigbo and improving welfare of civil servants.
In their words, “members reaffirmed their unalloyed loyalty and implicit confidence in his administration.”
Condemning the unfriendly and discourteous utterances of Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and Tony Okocha in different fora in the State, the forum urged the duo to desist from such action in order not to heat up the polity.
The forum pledged to stand by the governor through, “thick and thin”, the stakeholders acknowledged the contributions of women, who through prayers for the government has impacted positively in the direction and posture of the governor.
Finally, the forum unanimously expressed gratitude to the Simplified Movement and other bodies that have thrown their weight behind the governor to ensure that the administration is stable and successful.
By: Kevin Nengia
News
‘Rivers People Are Now Breathing Fresh Air Under Fubara’
Aformer Caretaker Committee Chairman of Abua/Odual Local Government Council of Rivers State, Hon Elamo Arogu, says under Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the people of the State are now breathing fresh air.
Hon Arogu said Governor Fubara has given Rivers people hope, considering the impactful and people-oriented projects being carried out by his administration.
The former CTC chairman made the assertion during the Simplified Movement’s thanksgiving service and rally held in honour of Rivers State chief executive last Friday in Abua .
Arogu said under Governor Fubara, the Abua/Odual people have the confidence that the dividends of democracy will definitely get to them.
He noted that the Governor has the strong will to change the narrative in Rivers State, being the reason he is receiving massive support across the State.
“The people of Abua/Odual are strongly behind him. Our doors ate open for everyone because there is government in place to attend to the needs of the people. I believe that he will develop Abua/Odual and other Rivers council areas, hence, the massive support. This government is business- oriented and we are ready to encourage him succeed and invest in our land. The issue of a bank; road networks and other necessities of life bordering on development as demanded by the people will be considered by Governor Fubara”, he said.
He called on the opposition to team up with Governor Fubara to build a stronger, united and viable Rivers State.
He maintained that ward nine under his leadership is Simplified.
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