The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NUPENG

  • June 12 Democracy Day: Triumph of over injustice – Kokori

    One-time Executive Secretary of the national Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and an arrowhead of the June 12 Movement, Chief Frank Kokori, has described the formalization of the date as the National Democracy Day as the triumph of truth over injustice.
    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Kokori said the news of the proclamation by President Muhammadu Buhari and the posthumous honours conferred of the icon of the struggle, the late Chief Moshood Abiola, made him the happiest living man.
    Kokori, who reflected on the harsh conditions that all those involved in the struggle had to put up with, however said the decision of President Buhari to take the bold decision, though he was the least person such an action was expected from, would embolden Nigerians to engage in more patriotic actions.
    “First of all I thank God for everything, I thank God that today the country has finally come to end that big controversy about June 12 and May 29. I thank the president for doing that, at least, at this time.
    He was the least person I actually expected to do this because we had expected that during the 8 years of President Obasanjo, with the pressure at that time, with Gani Faweyinmi still alive, with people like us still active, we thought he would declare that day the democracy day and make it a public holiday.
    “I am the happiest man in this country today because I now realize that the struggle we made, especially my union; NUPENG and PENGASSAN, was not in vain and most of us who suffered terrible deprivation at that time. I am happy to be alive this day. They even said it is above October 1 because that was the day that we really fought for freedom and I have always said it everywhere. I am one of the happiest people on earth today and I appreciate this government because it is this government to come to realize the importance of that day.
    “Before it used to be only Lagos and some Yoruba state that were recognizing it, but now it is a national holiday. What a good news for me and those of us who are still alive, who fought in that struggle in the civil society and labour. I give a special tribute to my union; NUPENG and PENGASSAN. We suffered deprivation, just as people must suffer deprivation in struggle and some will pay the supreme sacrifice.
    “This is to say that no matter how long injustice lasts, at the end of the day goodness and truth will triumph. That is what has happened to us today. The significance for Nigerians is that it tells us that when you struggle for your country, such struggles are never in vain. Many have mocked us that we have been forgotten, they say those who never struggled for democracy are the ones enjoying our democracy today.
    “Today we have been recognized and though I’m no more in the union, I will want NUPENG to get involved in this from now on; all June 12, NUPENG can come out and flaunt their muscles that they were the heroes and the arrowhead of that struggle”, he said.

  • NUPENG: job security our priority

    N igeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) President, Prince Williams Akporeha has said job security  will be his priority.

    He said the challenges before the new executive were enormous. He promised to use the resources at his disposal to protect members.

    He said he would not allow the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill to impact negatively on the job security.

    He said: “I am assuring you that we will use all resources at our disposal, both human and materials to defend the job interest of all our members.

    “We shall protect our collective interest with our collective resources in line with extant rules. Be assured of the fact also, that we shall show more commitment and seriousness in the vision of taking the union to next level by building on stability and unity of the union as well as ensuring a stable financial base through prudency, frugality, transparency and accountability.”

    To achieve this, he said the union would, henceforth, embark on “tactful and strategic” unionisation of workers in both the formal and informal sectors of the oil and gas industry.

     

  • Oil sector reform: NUPENG urges govt to avert job loss

    The newly inaugurated national president, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Comrade Prince Williams Akporeha has urged the Federal Government not to allow ongoing reforms in the oil and gas industry to lead to job loss or victimisation of workers.

    He NUPENG will do everything possible to safeguard workers’ welfare whilst requesting that the implementation of Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) by the legislative and executive arms of government should not impact negatively on workers in the oil and gas sector.

    According to him the PIB which is already being harmonised by both the Senate and House of Representatives should help to strengthen the interest of oil workers, host communities, International Oil Companies (IOCs), government and other key stakeholders in the downstream, upstream and mid-stream sectors of the industry.

    Akporeha, in his acceptance speech shortly after his inauguration, at the fourth Quadrennial National Delegates Conference (NDC) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, said:

    ‘’We are coming on board at this critical time when our industry is facing two critical challenges of changes and reforms. One of these challenges is the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) that has just been harmonised and passed by the National Assembly. There is no doubt that the passage of the bill is long overdue but nevertheless, the implementation of this Act must not be allowed to impact negatively on job security of workers in the industry.

  • NUPENG: Nigeria lost $200b to PIB in eight years

    Nigeria lost not less than $200billion in eight years to non-passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas workers (NUPENG) has stated.

    Immediate national president of the union, Comrade Igwe Achese, stated this at the 4th quadrennial delegates’ conference held in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital at the weekend.

    Achese said the delay has scared away foreign investors with plans of coming into the country to do business while some other existing companies shutdown operation.

    He called on President Muhammad Buhari to expedite actions in assenting to the bill for it to become effective for operation.

    Achese said: ”We commend the National Assembly for the passage of the governance aspect of the PIB. The Senate had earlier passed it last year while the House of Representatives followed suit in the 2018.

    “We are sure that the president shall assent to the bill as soon as practicable now that the National Assembly has harmornised it.

    “Our prayer is that it should be speeded up without further delay as the nation lost about $200 billion investment as a result of the delay in passing the bill in the last eight years.”

    He said the passage of the PIGB will “restore investors’ confidence and transparency in oil and gas sector of the economy and attractive business and employment to both the country and the unemployed Nigerians.”

    The former NUPENG president regretted some other critical aspects of the bill, especially those to do with the environment, finance and host communities were unattended to by the lawmakers.

    These omitted aspects, according to him, were equally important for the smooth operation of the aspect already passed.

    Comrade Williams Akporeha emerged president of the union.

    Other members elected are Solomon Kilanko and Bass Harry (Deputy Presidents).

    Alex Agwanwor was elected treasurer while Victoria Oyeleke emerged as the Chief Welfare Officer of the union.

    It was learnt the position of the union secretary is non-elective.

    In his goodwill message, President of the Nigerian Labour Union (NLC) Ayuba Waba called on the National Assembly to pass the minimum wage bill to improve the standard of living of workers.

    He also warned against agitations in some quarters to transfer workers issues to the concurrent legislative list, saying it would create problems that worker would not allow to happen.

    “If the issue of labour is taken to the concurrent list, it will create a lot of problems.  It is the state assemblies that will determine the minimum wage and not the national assembly.

    “If you do you should also consider allowing state police, allowing states control their resources and every state must conduct their elections amongst others.

    “You cannot transfer workers matter to the concurrent bill in isolation, any attempt Nigerian workers will revolt against it,” he threatened.

     

  • NPA should decentralise operations to end gridlocks in Apapa Port – NUPENG

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has advised Nigerian Ports Authority to extend operations to other locations to discongest Apapa Port and end gridlocks in the area.

    Mr Tayo Aboyeji, NUPENG South-West Chairman, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday.

    “When Apapa Port started operation in 1970, it was only made for 30,000 cargoes but now it has over 80,000 cargoes yet no infrastructural development.

    “The management of NPA should extend the port infrastructure to accommodate incoming trucks because they are the ones blocking other road users.

    “They can also create another port in Epe and Badagry to decongest the one in Apapa,” he said.

    Aboyeji said that the union would support any step taking by both Federal Government and Lagos State Government to end the gridlock.

    NAN reports that on March 9, Gov.  Akinwunmi Ambode, inaugurated a committee to address persistent gridlock across Lagos metropolis.

    The committee was chaired by the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Ladi Lawanson.

    Other members include representatives of the Nigeria Police, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), LASTMA, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN). (NAN)

  • Fed Govt tasked on NUPENG crises

    Fed Govt tasked on NUPENG crises

    Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) has advised the Federal Government to wade into the leadership crisis rocking the National Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) or plunge the industry into a more serious problem.

    The body, in a statement signed at the weekend, by its its National Chairman and Secretary, Comrades Sulaimon Oladiti and Sunday Ochibejivwe, said NUPENG is embroiled in crisis, following the decision of its National President, Igwe Achese to elongate his tenure.

    The statement said:  ” Comrade Igwe Achese has fulfilled his constitutional rights, by serving two terms of four years each in office, and still want to hold on. The issue is causing disaffection among the ranks and files of the union, hence the decision to call on the relevant government agencies to wade into the matter before it is too late. This is the beginning of a crisis, that stakeholders do not know its end.”

    PTD, an arm of NUPENG, said it has written the Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Ngige, its Petroleum Industry counterpart, Dr Ibe Kachikwu and the directors of state security services, the Inspector General of Police, and the Group Managing Director of NNPC, with a view to find a lasting solution to the issue, stressing that failure to resolve the impasse would pose grave consequence to the nation’s oil and gas industry.

    According to the statement, the Achese led National Executive Council(NEC) has been given March 28th as deadline to convene a meeting, where issues would be discussed and subsequently resign or cause harm to the industry.

     

  • Apapa Gridlock: Military, LASG, give truck drivers 48 hours to vacate bridge

    Apapa Gridlock: Military, LASG, give truck drivers 48 hours to vacate bridge

    Stakeholders, including the Nigerian Military and the Lagos State Government (LASG) on Wednesday gave a 48-hour ultimatum to all tanker drivers to vacate the bridge in national interest and security.

    The resolution was reached during a one day stakeholders meeting at the Naval Base in Apapa, comprising the military, Nigerian Port Authority(NPA), LASG, Nigerian Union Petroleum Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).

    Others who attended the stakeholders meeting were Nigerian Police, Dangote Group, Apapa Residents Association, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Apapa Government Reserved Area Resident Association, among others.

    The Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy, Rear Adm. Sylvanus Abbah, who was the conveyner of the meeting, appealed to the tanker drivers to leave the bridge in national interest.

    According to him, terrorists might take the advantage of the traffic situation to strike in Lagos and this has to be prevented from happening.

    “Costain is going to be the turning point of the trucks.

    “After 48 hours, no truck will park on the bridge because of national interest and I hope you will all take the decision of this meeting,” he said.

    He said that some of the trucks had been parked on the bridge for weeks, adding that the bridge might collapse which would be an additional problem.

    Abbah said a committee would also be set up which would involve the major stakeholders including NUPENG to further address the traffic situation.

    “All major stakeholders most especially the shipping lines will be in the committee and if I have my way, the Apapa Local Government Chairman would spearhead the committee,” he said.

    The NPA Traffic Manager, Mr Ogini Victor, who represented the Port Manager, Mrs Aisha Ali-Ibrahim, said that the Apapa Gridlock had become a barber’s chair that was rotating and not moving anywhere.

    “Synergy is the keyword that can solve the problem of the gridlock.

    “We have also decided that all empty containers should go to holden bays and we will make sure our men give us report on how many trucks park at the bay daily,” he said.

    The representative of NUPENG, Comrade Adekunle Adelaja, while reacting to the directive, said that the union does not support tankers parking on the bridge.

    He enjoined all stakeholders to find a lasting solution to the problem as it was affecting everyone.

    “We need to have another meeting and call all the farm tankers. Let us see how we can be able to do the programming that trucks will just go to the depot without parking on the bridge,” he said.

    The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport, Mr Taiwo Salau, said that there should be good synergy among security agencies to resolve the traffic situation.

    “There should be synergy among security agencies so that these areas can be cleaned up and have a check point before the long bridge,” he said. (NAN)

  • NUPENG vows to shutdown sector over sack threat

    NUPENG vows to shutdown sector over sack threat

    Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has warned that it will shut the oil sector if the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) sacks its members as threatened in a recent ultimatum to the Federal Government.

    The marketers have given the government a 14-day ultimatum to settle the N650 billion debt allegedly owed its members.

    In a statement by its Executive Secretary, Olufemi Adewole, DAPPMAN said if the government failed to meet the deadline, it would direct its members to shut all the depots the NNPC uses to store imported products as well as disengage their over 10,000 workers.

    However, NUPENG President, Igwe Achese, who addressed the  reporters after the NUPENG Elders Stakeholders Meeting in Lagos, said the union would protect its members from the threats.

    Achese noted that there was an urgent need to call for dialogue with the marketers, adding that if the issues were not promptly addressed, NUPENG would be at the receiving end.

    “The problem will not only affect workers, but also tanker drivers. Hence, if it happens, we will react to protect our members. If workers are sacked, the union will react accordingly,” he said.

    The NUPENG chief said the government should wake up to the reality that NNPC alone could not sustain petroleum supply in the country.

    “We have always said it that, for fuel crisis to end, our refineries must come back on stream. If we are importing, that should only be a stop-gap,” he said.

    The union, he said, would give the Federal Government maximum support to ensure that all the refineries got back to their full working capacity, but that the government must ignore those that were calling for privatisation of the refineries. Instead, it should look for a way to upgrade the facilities.

  • Fuel scarcity: Fix refineries now, NUPENG urges NNPC

    Fuel scarcity: Fix refineries now, NUPENG urges NNPC

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) yesterday called for the rehabilitation of the nation’s refineries to end the recurring fuel scarcity across the country.

    The South-West Chairman of the union, Tayo Aboyeji, who made the call in a chat with the News Agency of Nigeria, said it is disheartening to know that despite the fact that the nation is a major producer of crude oil, it cannot refine the product for its local consumption.

    He said it is ridiculous that for the past 15 years, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has been spending billions of dollars on Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of the refineries with nothing to show for it,” saying if all our four refineries were producing at their maximum output, the country would not be spending such huge sum on importation of refined product.

    Aboyeji said this was the right time for our refineries to work, adding that the Federal Government should as a matter of urgency fix the refineries at this moment.

    He urged the NNPC to increase product supply to the depots so as to reduce the current scarcity nationwide, saying it was not ripe at the moment for total deregulation of the sector and advised that government should reduce import duty and provide waiver to oil companies to enable them import the product.

    On allegations that certain petrol stations were selling products above the official pump price, Aboyeji said the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), should investigate properly before sealing such stations.

    He said: “To me, it is not all about the pump price, it is about where they are getting the product from and at what price.”

    The NUPENG chief said DPR should first of all verify the price at which the depot owners sell to petrol stations to know if these private depots are selling above the ex-depot price of N133.28.

    Aboyeji wondered that since DPR started sealing of petrol stations selling above official pump price, if it (DPR), has asked private depots how much they are selling to marketers?

    He said oil marketers are in business to make money, saying they cannot get petrol at higher price and sell to motorists at lower price.

    He said it is the responsibility of DPR to find out the source of where the marketers are getting the product before sealing the stations.

  • NUPENG offers support for NNPC to end fuel scarcity

    NUPENG offers support for NNPC to end fuel scarcity

    The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas, (NUPENG) has offered to support the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC) to ease the scarcity of petrol in Abuja and environs.

    It urged the oil giant not to relent in its efforts to ease the suffering of vehicle owners at retail outlets and commuters.

    National Chairman of the Petroleum and Tanker Drivers’, (PTD) branch of NUPENG Comrade Salmon Oladiti stated this yesterday in Abuja.

    The Federal Executive Council, (FEC) last Wednesday  expressed concern over the scarcity and ordered Minister of State Petroleum Resources Ibe Kachikwu to end the shortage last weekend.

    Kachikwu said his Ministry had instructed the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency, (PPPRA) and the Department of Petroleum Resources, (DPR) to ensure monitoring of supply and distribution of the products.

    The scarcity has since eased substantially in Lagos State and its environs, but long queues at retail outlets persist in the FCT and states in the Northern.

    Comrade Oladiti said his men were ready to assist the NNPC  to ensure speedy movement of petroleum products from the depots to retail outlets to  end the sufferings of Nigerians at the receiving end of the present shortfall in supply.

    He added that there had been an improvement in the supply chain from the depots.

    He said:’’ Now that petrol is gradually available, we are ready to lift and ensure its availability.

    ‘’We don’t want Nigerians to go back to the era of artificial scarcity. We are ready to make sacrifices to ensure that lifting at the depots by our members improve.’’

    Oladiti said his members are willing to  make sacrifices during the festive period to complement the NNPC management resolve of 24 hours loading and distribution at the depots till the situation normalizes.

    The NUPENG boss, however, appealed to the Federal Government to implement to the letter its “comprehensive project of revitalization of the refineries and depots across the country.”