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Tag: Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG)

  • Fuel crisis hits Bayelsa as troops impound NNPC tankers 

    Fuel crisis hit Bayelsa State Monday following an industrial action declared against the state by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).

    It was gathered that NUPENG directed their workers to down tools in protest of two fuel-laden tankers seized by the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Delta Safe (ODS).

    Troops of JTF were said to have taken over the tankers, which were initially impounded by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) over allegations of diversion of products and alteration of documents.

    It was learnt that the interference of the troops would have led to inter-agency rivalries but for the quick intervention of NSCDC authorities.

    While NSCDC cleared the trucks belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NSCDC) and ordered their release after meeting with NUPENG and other stakeholders, the JTF was said to have insisted on conducting further investigations.

    NUPENG was said to have declared the industrial action after all its efforts to convince JTF to release the tankers proved abortive.

    Investigations revealed that following the face-off NUPENG members refused to lift fuel to Bayelsa.

    It was found that most petrol stations in Yenagoa sold out their products and locked their filling stations.

    Long queues of vehicles were seen in some stations as residents battled to buy the product.

    An NNPC source, who spoke in confidence, said despite all the documents proving that the products were not diverted, the JTF failed to release the petrol tankers.

    The source, however, said JTF authorities contacted the NNPC and said they were ready to release the truck.

    “This crisis was avoidable if the JTF had allowed NSCDC to handle the matter. We provided all the documents proving that the products were genuine and countering any claims of diversion.

    “They have called that we should come and claim the tankers but we can’t go without other stakeholders’ directives. Once NUPENG directs, we will go and move the tankers. So, hopefully lifting of petrol to Bayelsa will soon resume.

  • Yuletide: NUPENG assures of regular petrol supply

    Yuletide: NUPENG assures of regular petrol supply

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers ( NUPENG ) on Wednesday assured motorists of regular supply of petroleum products to filling stations during the Yuletide and beyond.

    Mr. Tayo Aboyeji, the new Chairman of South-West Chapel of NUPENG, gave the assurance in an interview in Lagos.

    According to Aboyeji, tanker drivers will work throughout the Christmas and New Year festivals to ensure that filling stations in the South West get sufficient products.

    “I met the top management of Pipelines and Product Marketing Company ( PPMC ), a subsidiary of NNPC, on the assurance of products due to current fuel scarcity in some parts of the country.

    Read also: NUPENG offers support for NNPC to end fuel scarcity

    “If there is no petrol at depots, there is nothing we can take to filling stations.

    “They assured us that sufficient supply will be available in both PPMC depots in  in Lagos and Mosinmi in Ogun during the period.

    “They also promised to ensure that some private depots being used by the company for distribution will be fully loaded with petroleum products.

    “With this assurance from the NNPC, our tanker drivers will work round the clock to ensure that most filling stations in the South West have more than enough product.

    “We will ensure that Muslim members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers ( PTD ) work around the clock to ensure that petrol is available during the Christmas and New Year holidays,” he said.

    The chairman appealed to Federal Government to ensure speedy completion of Apapa-Wharp Road which was being handled by Dangote Group.

    He said that reconstruction works were taking toll on petroleum tankers going to different tank farms in Apapa, adding that tankers were on queues for days before getting to depots.

    ‘Our tankers spend close to two weeks on queues due to reconstruction of the road before accessing tank farms in Apapa; this is part of what is resulting in scarcity of petrol in the country.

    “We are all aware that 80 per cent of petroleum products being used by Nigerians are coming from these private tank farms in Apapa, so the repair work should be done on time,” he said.

    NAN

  • NNPC: PENGASSAN, NUPENG rally behind Baru

    NNPC: PENGASSAN, NUPENG rally behind Baru

    Unions in the oil and gas sector on Monday pledged support for the ‘transformation stride’ of the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Dr Maikanti Baru.

    The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) made the pledge in Abuja in a statement by Mr Ndu Ughamadu, NNPC Group General Manager Group Public Affairs Division.

    Read: $25bn NNPC contract: Buhari vets Kachikwu’s petition

    The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu had accused Baru of flouting contractual agreements, creating a fear culture in the corporation and insubordination among others.

    Ughamadu, reacting to the allegations on Monday, however, said the Minister’s allegations were not true as due process had been followed in the corporation’s various activities.

    Ughamadu said at a solidarity visit to the GMD, the National President of PENGASSAN, Mr Francis Johnson, said the unions and its members considered it appropriate to rally round Baru and the NNPC Management to pledge their support.

    ”The unions’ support for the GMD was based on his ability to walk his talk since assuming office last year.

    Baru and Kachuckwu

    ”The National body of PENGASSAN and all the NNPC in-house unions are here today to show our support for you.

    ”You have brought stability to the NNPC and we are happy today that staff morale is high. You were Chairman of NNPC Anti-Corruption Committee for over five years and that was what informed your appointment as GMD of NNPC.

    ”Today, all the bullets you are taking are on behalf of members of staff. We will continue to pray for you, God will continue to guide and shield you,” Ughamadu quoted Johnson.

    Also: $25b contracts: NNPC, Baru tackle Kachikwu

    Ughamadu said the unionist called on Nigerians to be cautious of their comments on the controversy, adding that any wrong information was capable of discouraging investors from the oil and gas industry.

    He said the NNPC Group Chairman of PENGASSAN, Mr Sale Abdullahi, who also spoke during the solidarity visit disclosed that part of the unions’ concern had to do with the need to protect not only the GMD but the NNPC as an institution.

    ”Baru had streamlined the processes and procedures in the Corporation leading to the full restructuring which was beginning to yield positive results.

    ”Today, the GMD and NNPC Management receive inputs from staff and this gesture by Dr Baru has given members of staff a sense of belonging.

    ”Today, our inputs are being implemented and we are highly motivated.”

    Other union leaders who were at the meeting to lend support were the Group Chairman of NNPC NUPENG, Udofia Benjamin and Chairman of NNPC Corporate Headquarters Chapter of PENGASSAN, Mathew Duru.

    Also speaking, Baru described the allegations of award of contracts without regard to due process as unfounded and unfortunate.

    He explained that as a former chairman of the NNPC Anti-Corruption Committee, he would be the last person to breach the procurement process by disregarding extant laws and rules.

    The GMD said both the NNPC Act and Public Procurement Act vested procurement powers on the NNPC Tenders Board, the President and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) depending on the cost threshold, stressing that the NNPC Board had no role whatsoever in the process.

    ”I know for those of you who are following what we are doing here, you know that there’s no money lost and no process has been breached.

    ”Our contracting process is perfect and we will continue to follow the process. The NNPC Board has no role, I repeat, has no role as far as the contracting process is concerned,” Baru said.

    He said the crude term contract and the DSDP agreements were not contract as such but pre-qualification of off-takers of crude oil.

    ”The case of DSDP, is of those that will take crude and give us products in return.

    ”So there is no value to them. But humongous figures have been put forward mainly to incite the public, it is most unfortunate.”

  • NUPENG urges FG, LASG to provide parking space for tankers

    NUPENG urges FG, LASG to provide parking space for tankers

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) on Thursday urged Lagos State and Federal Government to provide parking space for petroleum tankers to reduce gridlock in the state.

    Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, the South-West Chairman of the union gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

    Korodo said that lack of standard parking space in and around Apapa, where majority of private tank farms were located had resulted to gridlock on Lagos roads.

    “There is no standard parking space in and around Apapa, the parking space at Orile-Iganmu has been reduced drastically due to the extension of Orile-Badagry road.

    “When petroleum tankers want to load product at any depot which has the capacity of loading over 100 tankers a day and there is no space to park, the driver will be forced to park on major road.

    “At present only few depots in Apapa tank farm depot are loading products and this has resulted to gridlock because many of these trucks are on queue waiting for their turn,’’ he said.

    The chairman said that bad road along the tank farms also contributed to the gridlock.

    “Most of the roads to these depots are not accessible to tankers because they are in a bad state.

    “So, any truck going through Apapa Marine Bridge road will be struggling with smaller ones and this may result to accident.

    “If our roads are in good condition, many of our trucks would not be damaged on the roads,’’ he said.

    Korodo, however, said that if all Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) loading depots in the country were operational, there won’t be need for migration of tankers to Lagos.

    “We believe that if all NNPC depots nationwide are loading products, there will be no gridlock of tankers in Lagos.

    “But only Mosinmi depot is loading out of six depots in the South-West, thereby resulting in tankers coming to Lagos depots to load products in Apapa tank farms,’’ he said.

  • May Day: NUPENG Warriors floor Electricity Bombers in novelty match

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) Warriors on Sunday defeated the National Union Electricity Employees (NUEE) Bombers 3-1 in a novelty match.

    The match was organised in Lagos by the United Labour Congress (ULC) as part of activities to celebrate May Day, held annually by workers on May 1.

    Mr Joe Ajaero, ULC President, said that it was the first time such a sporting activity would be organised in the spirit of May Day celebration.

    Ajaero, who scored the only goal for NUEE Bombers in the match, said it was pertinent to organise such sport for unionists because of the need for them to exercise.

    “ULC is trying to involve members in recreation activities. It will not only be protest and prolonged demand; and we intend to sustain it annually.

    “It is also important to exercise because between January and April this year, the organised labour has lost four general secretaries. Our health should be our priority,” he said.

    The ULC leader,who said he was happy scoring the only goal for his side, promised that subsequent football matches would be made more colouful.

    Mr Joseph Ogbebor, NUPENG Warriors team manager, told NAN that the objective of the match was to add colour to the May Day celebration.

    “It is not a time to make speeches but to create an atmosphere for people to relax and have fun,” Ogbebor said.

    He said he was happy that the NUPENG team won the match.

    The team manager for NUEE Bombers, Mr Isaac Babatunde, told NAN that the game was aimed at making solidarity stronger.

    According to Babatunde, the labour movement is full of struggle, hence the need to entertain one another.

    He said that though they lost the match, it was played in the spirit of love.

    Babatunde said he looked forward to a better performance by the team next year.

  • Petroleum Tanker drivers threaten to embark on nationwide strike

    Petroleum Tanker drivers threaten to embark on nationwide strike

    The Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTD) arm of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) says it will commence a nationwide strike on Monday.

    NUPENG’s President, Mr Igwe Achese, announced this in a signed communique on Friday in Lagos, at the end of its Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting held at the union’s secretariat in Yaba.

    The communique said the strike would draw the attention of the Federal Government and other stakeholders to some unresolved issues bordering on the welfare of workers, such as bad roads, poor remuneration, insecurity and the alleged excesses of some security agencies.

    “The CWC-in-Session considers inhumane, the refusal of the National Association of Transport Owners (NARTO) to commence negotiation with the union for the renewal of the expired Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) on the working conditions of our Tanker Driver members in the PTD branch, after several appeals and even an ultimatum.
    “The CWC-in-Session, therefore, resolves to give full backing to any industrial action the members in this sector might decide to take with effect from Monday, April 3, 2017.

    “To avert the pains and discomfort the action might cause, the CWC-in-Session calls on the Federal Government to urgently intervene and apprehend the unfortunate situation, to enable NARTO meet its obligations to tanker drivers,’’ the communique said.

    The communique also called on the National Assembly to urgently pass the Petroleum Industry Bill, in order to tackle all the issues of corruption plaguing the oil sector.

    It also called for the commercialisation of the operations of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), as well as the turn-around-maintenance for the refineries, to increase local production and reduce the importation of petroleum products.

    The communique commended the efforts of the federal government to encourage operators of illegal refineries to be integrated into the establishment of modular refineries.

    The union also vowed to resist any attempt to increase the pump price of petrol.

    It also commended efforts of the government to shore up the Naira against the Dollar and the decline in the inflationary rate to 17.5 per cent.

    The communique, however, called on government to address the challenges of poverty, unemployment, hunger and the rising cost of goods and services.

    It also appealed to government to adopt measures to restructure the economy, as well as address challenges confronting the power sector.

    The association commended the federal government’s determined efforts at eliminating the Boko Haram sect from the Sambisa forest, but called for increased military intelligence gathering to stem the spate of suicide bombings in Maiduguri, Borno.

    While commending the efforts of the Police in combating crime, the union also called for increased surveillance to tackle rising cases of kidnappings, rape and other crimes.

     

  • NLC threatens strike over fuel scarcity

    NLC threatens strike over fuel scarcity

    • We won’t frustrate govt’s efforts, says NUPENG
    The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) on Monday threatened mass action if the persistent fuel scarcity is not urgently addressed.
    It said it could be forced to demonstrate against public officers who have not delivered on their mandate and to demand their removal for allowing increasing suffering and deprivation to become the lot of Nigerians.
    “Electricity has become an essential commodity, public utilities have since gone to the dogs, petroleum products have grown wings and vanished, compounding an already bad transport system, reducing Nigerians in all parts of the nation to compulsory trekkers.
    “Having observed the increasing alarm and seeming confusion within the corridors of power on possible solutions to the socio-economic quagmire, we make haste to say that Nigeria is indeed at crossroads today and the extent of suffering is such that this nation has not witnessed throughout its history.
    “We, therefore, want the government at the centre to quickly talk to Nigerian workers and the masses on why we should continue having trust and patience with them.
    “We urge them to tell us why we should not be in the streets calling for mass resignations of officers of this government, and to also tell us why we should not be worried when all the macro-economic indices are moving downwards,” NLC said.
    NLC, at a briefing in Lagos by its factional president, Comrade Joe Ajaero, along with his deputy, Achese Igwe, who doubles as the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) president, urged the government to focus on getting the refineries working.
    It said the licenses granted local refiners should be reviewed and withdrawn from those who lack the capacity.
    The workers’ body said with stolen funds being returned by looters, the government should deploy the monies to execution of projects.
    “We urge the government to come clean as promised and account for what it has actually recovered from the treasury looters, giving Nigerians details of the culprits and how much each stole.
    “We also urge the president and his cabinet to set up appropriate machinery to deploy the recovered funds to fill the resource gaps complained about because of the dip in global oil prices,” NLC said.
    Igwe said NUPENG was willing to collaborate with the government to ensure the petroleum products are distributed seamlessly when available.
    He added, however, that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was yet to reach out to NUPENG leadership on how the union can help end the fuel crisis.
    “NNPC is yet to partner with NUPENG. They are yet to sit down with NUPENG on how to get this problem solved. But we are willing to partner with NNPC to end this fuel crisis,” Igwe said.
    On the leadership crisis in NLC, Ajaero said his faction was still open to reconciliation, adding a seven-man committee that was set up to reconcile the factions at the state chapter level was frustrated.
    “We are waiting for reconciliation. For now we have two NLCs, one for the government and one for the people. We are for the people,” Ajaero said.