PIB - NUPENG Threatens to Go on Strike

National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) has threatened to withdraw its services across the country if the current National Assembly (NASS) fails to pass the Petroleum Industrial Bill (PIB) into law.

The president of the union, Comrade Igwe Achese, disclosed this to newsmen in Lagos during a briefing tagged ‘What is the future of oil and gas sector?

According to him, we will not use the word ‘strike’ to scare Nigerians but we will withdraw our services across the country if the 7th Assembly fails to pass the PIB that has become a recurrent decimal.

Igwe noted that the bill must be passed by the NASS and dispatched in order to ensure transparency in the oil and gas business.

“We are not joking with this issue and I hope strongly that the present assembly will do the needful,” he said.

NUPENG also lamented the vandalism of pipelines in the country and called on government to provide adequate protection for them.

“For refineries in Kaduna to function properly, there is the need to secure them and other throughout the country,” he added.

Part of their demands include the rehabilitation of refineries in order to reduce massive importation of petroleum products, tackling the problem of outsourcing of workers in the Oil and Gas sector, road rehabilitation, security, inauguration of the PPRA board, among others.

The labour leader said the divestment of oil must be stopped and that government must bring in new policies to sustain the sector. On the scarcity of fuel in Abuja, Achese emphasised that the NUPENG was not on strike and despite the insecurity in the country, they still ensured the distribution of the product across the country.

“The question of no fuel should be directed to the NNPC and others because we are committed to our jobs,” he said.

Meanwhile, the NUPENG president has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the successful conduct of the general elections and urged the commission to improve on its performances. (Leadership)