Lagos/Onitsha/Oshogbo/Benin/Abuja — ACTIVITIES in both the upstream and down-stream oil industry froze yesterday as Nigerian oil and gas workers began a three-day warning strike to protest insecurity in the industry enclave of Niger Delta.

Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and sister National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) had circulated directives posted at the offices of government agencies and companies in the industry asking members to down tools as from yesterday.

Checks by Daily Champion showed that operations at crude oil export terminals as well as petroleum products depots in the country were grounded as blue collar NUPENG pulled members out of duty.

Also at corporate offices of agencies and companies, activities were skeletal with limited presence of management officials and security personnel as white collar PENGASSAN pulled members of their seats.

Market turgidity level dropped with the strike as operations at product depots were affected by the NUPENG strike.This resulted in mild scarcity at various parts of the country.

Executive chairman of Integrated Oil and Gas Limited, Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho, told Daily Champion in a telephone that schedule loading of 990,000 tonnes of products at the company's Apapa tank farm was affected by the strike.

He said neighbouring tank farms also suffered similar fate on account of the strike.

The strike, he said, would cost the large volume marketers some billions of naira in actual loss and deferred income.

Inspectorate sources at the regulatory Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) told our correspondent that the strike affected operations at all levels of the industry.

He could not however give the estimate of product volume in the market and guarantee of supplies before Monday when the strike is expected to end.

However, government yesterday engaged leaders of the workers' unions with a view of breaking the strike just as DPR is scheduled to engage depot managers in a meeting today.

It was gathered that the meeting between the unions and government was deadlocked yesterday, leading to a reschedule for conclusion today.

Meanwhile, the domestic fuel market has started showing signs or product scarcity following the oil workers strike. However, there was differing levels of respite to the situation across the country.

Prices of petroleum products remained stable in Onitsha the commercial nerve centre of Anambra State, in spite of the strike.

Daily Champion investigation in major filling stations in the commercial town, shows that their prices were still stable and there were no queues of vehicles.

At Total Filling Station, on Old Market Road, normal delivery services took place with vehicles coming in at intervals to purchase petroleum products.

Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly known as fuel is sold for between N65.00 and N75.00 depending on the filling station and where they sourced the products. Diesel is sold at N90.00, while Kerosene for domestic use, was sold at N70.00 per litre.

In his reaction to the strike, the chairman of Civil Liberties Organization (CLO) in Anambra State, Comrade Emeka Umeagbalasi, called for dialogue between the oil workers, the Federal Government and relevant agencies.

He said that it will be suicidal for Nigeria to experience another oil strike this time, calling for caution from both parties in the interest of Nigerians.