That Oil Workers Threat

This time last year, Nigeria was caught up between fuel scarcity and the protest against the removal of fuel subsidy. Thereafter, the country experienced stability in that sector as fuel scarcity was not experienced throughout the year.

Just as Nigerians are getting used to the peace in that sector that also normalised transport fares, trade and prices of goods, some oil workers are spoiling to take Nigeria back to the era of scarcity and the instability that comes with it by pushing for oil workers’ strike.

Apart from the avoidable culture of using strike as the first option in trade related conflicts, the reason for the proposed strike is laughable. That oil workers in Nigeria deemed it fit to proceed on strike because of the plan to sell Nigeria’s ailing refineries is unbelievable.

In the first place, if there is nothing more to it, these oil workers cannot proceed on strike for an act that has not been done. That Nigeria has come to an era when some citizens would paralyse the economy based on a proposed action is most condemnable.

President of the Petroleum and National Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Babatunde Ogun said last month that they oppose the privatisation of the refineries and that if government fails to reverse the decision before Christmas, they would proceed on strike as from January 1, 2014 without further warning.

To say the least, this is a clear attempt to intimidate the government and to celebrate a blatant disregard for the wellbeing of the ordinary Nigerian. It can easily be seen as economic sabotage and a pathetic lack of patriotism. This is what no full blooded Nigerian should wish for his country now.

Coming from the year 2013 that stressed Nigerians, even with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike that lasted for nearly half of the year, no Nigerian should contemplate any strike so soon, certainly not in the oil sector, as it would amount to throwing stones into the market place.

On the other hand, it is mind-boggling to note that oil workers would contemplate a strike over an action that government has good reason to embark on. Apart from the right it has to sell its own assets, the plan is aimed at the best interest of every Nigerian.

The chronic failure of the four state-owned refineries in Nigeria has strongly underscored the saying that “government has no business doing business,” especially of this kind. Even so, this is not the first public asset to be privatised in Nigeria, but why this should attract such panic action is what somebody would need to tell the rest of Nigerians.

Incidentally, in all the previous privatisations, the interest of staff was treated with priority and dispatch. In fact, in the case of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) nearly all the staff are retained even after being paid-off in full. Would that of the refineries be different? No!

Even more interesting is the fact that in addition to the need to privatise the economy, nearly all the assets privatised have made great progress, served the country better and become insulated from the activities of government, that can be wasteful sometimes.

Over the years, Nigerians have said there was too much government in the affairs of the people; and too many public establishments that fail to achieve purpose. The refineries happen to be some of the public establishments that give the true meaning of wasting resources.

Nigerians are all aware of the low capacity utilisation of the refineries. The sheer inability of carrying out Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) as and when due and the corruption associated with it can no longer be accepted. The failure to save the huge investments on these refineries and its potential to serve the country by any government worth its name cannot be forgiven.

Looking at the great progress made at the former Petrochemical Industry in Eleme, NAFCON, NITEL and even PHCN, no patriot would protest the privatisation of the refineries. If the oil workers have any other grouse, they should approach government with it and not embark on this strike of shame.

While we urge the patriotic section of the oil workers to speak up and shoot down the strike, we expect that government would hurry in selling the refineries, but first address the interest of those working at the refineries. Indeed, Nigerians cannot wait to see functional refineries that would put paid to the importation of refined products and the abuses therefrom.