Oil unions rue sack of workers, as NNPC clarifies position

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association on Monday alleged that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has sacked 850 contract workers at the nation’s refineries, even as the NNPC denied this.

In a joint statement signed by the National President of NUPENG, Williams Akporeha, and his PENGASSAN counterpart, Mr Ndukaku Ohaeri and group’s general secretaries, the unions claimed the corporation sacked the workers without consulting the unions.

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The unions stated: “On the purported threat of the Group Managing Director of NNPC to sack workers, we wish to state here that it was actually no more a threat but that it had already been carried out with the sack of 850 support staff in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic, throwing almost a thousand workers into hard financial situation without an iota of empathy or consultation with the union.”

The unions said they never threatened to go on strike, but that they only demanded to be engaged for a proper discussion on the commensurate terminal benefits of the workers who had worked for 10 to 15 years.

In his reaction to Daily Trust’s enquiry, NNPC Group General Manager, Public Affairs Division, Dr Kennie Obateru, said the workers were not NNPC workers, but were engaged by one of the corporation’s contractors whose contract had ended.

Obateru added that the issue was not a new one as NNPC had clarifies it in a statement two months ago.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the reconstitution of Federal Government’s representatives on the boards of Nigeria LNG (NLNG) and Bonny Gas Transport Limited (BGT).

The Minister of Petroleum Resources Timipre Sylva, who disclosed this yesterday said the current boards’ members “had been on the respective boards since 2005 and it has become imperative to inject fresh ideas into the governance of the companies.’’

The newly reconstituted NLNG board as comprising Dr. Edmund Daukaru (chairman), Engr. Henry Ikem-Obih (member), Dr Rabiu Sulaiman (member), GMD, NNPC, Malam  Mele Kyari (member) and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Bitrus Nabasu (member).

The new members on the board of BGT are, Dr. Edmund Daukaru (president), Doyin Akinyanju (member), Abdul Abba G (member),  GMD, NNPC, Mal. Mele Kyari (member) and Permanent Secretary Ministry of Petroleum Resources Bitru Nabasu (member).