Group Hails NUPENG, PENGASSAN For Suspending Strike

A youth group, the Niger Delta Youth Coalition (NDYC) has hailed the oil workers unions for suspending their nation-wide industrial action.
National Coordinator of NDYC, Prince Emmanuel Ogba, who spoke to The Tide  in Port Harcourt yesterday said, the decision by both the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and National Gas (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to suspend the strike was borne out of patriotism.
He said the strike coming at this period of Christmas could have increased the woes of the masses particularly the Christians who normally travel from the urban areas to their localities in celebration of the Christian ritual.
He also commended the Federal Government for its wisdom in intervening stressing that if the fortunes of the nation were properly managed, issues related to the agitation of the oil workers would have become a thing of the past.
Ogba advised Federal Government to implement decisions reached at the meeting of the Federal Government, NUPENG, and PENGASSAN on Friday which resulted in suspension to ensure that threat of strike by oil workers does not rear its head again.
He particularly challenged the National Assembly to ensure that passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) was given accelerated attention stressing that it is an embarrassment that such issue that holds promises  to the nation was being frustrated at the National Assembly.
The NDYC boss said the so much delay by the law making arm of the government has become suspicions in view of the allegations and insinuations that some cabals including the oil companies were throwing their weight against the passage of the bill and questioned the members of the National Assembly whether they  were there for themselves or for Nigerians.
“The promises of the law makers to Nigerians that PIB would soon be passed has become a big joke. Nigerians are no fools,” he said.

Chris Oluoh