NUPENG Calls Off Strike …Reaches Agreement With FG

The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers
(NUPENG), has called off its proposed nationwide strike following agreements
reached by the union, the Federal Government and other stakeholders at a
meeting yesterday.

The meeting between officials of the Federal Government and
the leadership of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers
(NUPENG) was reconvened yesterday in Abuja after the first session on Wednesday
yielded no specific agreements.

The closed door meeting, however, resolved the faceoff that
has caused a major fuel scarcity in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja
and a proposed nationwide shutdown of fuel supply.

The National President of NUPENG, Igwe Achese had expressed
optimism at government’s commitment to the dialogue after Wednesday’s meeting.

The bone of contention was the outstanding payment of fuel
subsidies to certain oil marketers affiliated to NUPENG.

The meeting had in attendance the Secretary to the
Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, the Minister of Labour, Emeka
Wogu, and the Minister of State for Finance, Yerima Ngama among others.

It would be recalled
that NUPENG had threatened to begin a nationwide strike on August 23, if
the government did not pay petroleum subsidy arrears owed depot owners.

The President of the union, Mr Igwe Achese, who briefed
journalists on August 20, said that the delay in the payment had impacted
negatively on workers in the oil and gas sector

He had warned that if the money was not paid, the union would
embark on an indefinite strike.

Other issues raised by the union included the need for
government to repair the nation’s roads, especially those in the East-West
area, to ensure steady supply of petroleum products.

The union also asked the government to begin the
Turn-Around-Maintenance (TAM) of the refineries, to boost fuel supply and
condemned the inhuman treatment meted out to casual workers in some of the oil
and gas companies.

It urged the government to intervene to correct the
anomalies in order to ensure industrial peace in the country.

However, the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas
Workers (NUPENG), on Wednesday maintained some skeletal loading of petroleum
products in Lagos, in spite of their face-off with the Federal Government.

Chairman, Southwest chapter of the union, Alhaji Tokunbo
Korodo, gave the petroleum products loading update in an interview with
newsmen.

He said that the skeletal loading was in anticipation that
the ongoing dialogue between the Federal Government and the union would be
fruitful.

“Loading activities in Lagos is very low, while the entire
Abuja has been grounded without petrol.

“We in South-West are waiting for the outcome of the meeting
of our national body with the Minister of Labour that is scheduled for today,
before we will know the next line of action,’’ he said.

Korodo urged the Federal Government to publish names of
marketers they have paid subsidy claims.

He expressed displeasure at what he called the inability of
government to meet its earlier promise to pay outstanding subsidy claims within
two weeks.

The Vice-Chairman of Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), Zenon
II Unit, Apapa, Mr Samuel Oyebode, said that they were optimistic about the
outcome of their union’s meeting with government.

He said that loading of petroleum product in Apapa has been
very slow, after the two-day Eid-el-Fitri holidays.

Oyebode urged government to avert the pending threat of a
nationwide strike by fast tracking the payment of marketers’ subsidy claims.

Another NUPENG official, the Secretary of PTD Time Unit of
NUPENG, Mr Kabiru Ademuyiwa,  said that
there was need for a truce in the ongoing disagreement between the union and
government.

“Marketers who borrowed money from banks are faced with lots
of challenges for not paying back on time; if care is not taken, banks might
seize their property— if they refused to pay as at when due,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Downstream
Petroleum Sector, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe has flayed the National Union of
Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers Union(NUPENG) for threatening to lay down
tools over non-payment of subsidy fund by the Federal Government.

Senator Abe while speaking with journalists under the
umbrella of the Federated Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of
Journalists(NUJ), Rivers State Chapter on Wednesday in Port Harcourt said
NUPENG’s planned strike was suspicious.

He submitted that the strike would amount to truncating due
process in the ongoing investigation over the fuel subsidy saga.

Rather than embarking on a strike as threatened by the body,
the Senator urged the labour body to have rethink.

“Our position is simple’’, Abe said,’’ if there are those
whose supplies are controversial such person should be tried in the proper
courts of law. ‘’

The Senator representing Rivers South-East maintained that
the grey areas of the report have to be cleared before any payment would be
made, adding that,’’ nobody can force Nigerian people to pay for what they did
not receive.

‘’ If it is on the disputed issues federal government cannot
pay them. Those cleared should be paid, while those not cleared should be
tried’’, he stressed.

Abe however identified over reliance on oil as a major
threat to the growth and unity of the country.

‘’ The challenge of Nigeria is that the country is not
productive enough…To fight over 2 million of barrels of crude per day is not
helpful. Oil is not enough to stay the economy, there is so much in this
country that we can tap, ‘’Abe declared.

He argued that the oil economy which Nigeria operates was
also responsible for the weak federalism it was experiencing, stressing that
all the federating states need to contribute resources to the federal purse
equally.

For him, once the issue of national resource has been
diversified it would be easy to run a federal system and sustain the unity of
the nation, as he pointed out that the current scenario does not promote equity
and balance.

Calling for leadership and values clarification Senator Abe
canvassed for a situation where the citizenry would be resensitised on moral
standards and integrity .’’ A situation where we celebrate wealth more than
others then we are at the verge of celebrating corruption. We need to celebrate
good character, integrity and honesty, ‘’ he added.

Meanwhile Senator Abe has idenified communication,
consultation, respect for laws and order as recipe for good governance at the
third tier of government.

Speaking on the topic,’’ Legislative- Executive
Collaboration: Recipe for Good Governance’’ at a two day workshop organised by
the Rivers State House of Assembly Committee on Local Government Affairs for
key administrators of Local Councils on Thursday in Port Harcourt, the Senator
argued that lack of mutual respect by each of the arm was responsible for
inefficient administration at the local level.

He believed that unnecessary intrusion by either of the arm
of government equally breed bad blood and therefore urged for checks and
balances.

‘’ I will be glad to hear from Councillors who take on the
Chairmen on what is right ‘’, he advised.