Patrick Ugeh
25 October 2008
Abuja — Members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Nigerian Union of Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) have called off their proposed strike scheduled to have commenced at the end of a 14-day ultimatum given the Federal Government to halt the sale of some key outfits in the oil and gas sector.
The ultimatum (starting from October 9 to October 22) followed reports that the government planned to sell the Nigerian Gas Company and Pipeline and Product Marketing Company (PPMC), a claim that government had since denied, saying it would not privatise them.
Apart from the two companies, the workers called for the review of the sale of the Eleme Petrochemical Company, now Indorama, and the NNPC quarters in Abuja.
THISDAY gathered yesterday that the decision to suspend the strike followed a meeting between the unions and the Ministers of Energy in charge of Gas and Petroleum, Messrs. Emmanuel Odusina and Odein Ajumogobia, SAN at which they pledged to meet the demands of the oil workers.
"We have issued a 14-day ultimatum to the government to look into our case beyond which if nothing is done, we will embark on an industrial action at the expiration of the ultimatum October 23," the unions had said.
"The integrity of the bureau is not credible enough for the government to keep it in office. We also fault the sale of Eleme Petrochemical. It should be reviewed because it is fraud. That is why we have come here to register our protest on these issues."
On the denial on the planned sale of the two companies, the NUPENG chairman said: "They are only using that to cajole us to go to sleep but later they announce that certain persons have won the bid."
Workers of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) under the aegis of the both unions in Abuja had vacated their offices in the early hours of Wednesday in a peaceful protest to express their grievances against the planned sale of Nigeria Gas Company (NGC) and Pipeline and Products Marketing Company (PPMC).
They had also reportedly demanded the removal of Irene Chigbue, director-general of Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) for purportedly handing over the Eleme Petrochemical Company Limited to the Indorama group, the new owner, without paying the required fees for the privatisation of the company. Williams Inko, group chairman of NUPENG (NNPC) expressed displeasure over the manner in which the BPE under Chigbue had been handling the privatisation of the nation's assets.
He also accused the BPE management of selling the workers' pension assets, Area 11 Housing Estate, Abuja, alleging that the Bureau has kept the proceeds from the sale in private accounts unknown to the corporation.
John Elibe, Group chairman, PENGASSAN had called on Nigerians to challenge the activities of government functionaries.
"It is high time we talk and if this oil industry is not salvaged, then how can you salvage Nigeria? If you carry an ID card in the service of this nation through any parastatal, you should also be there to be a watchdog for the government," he said.
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