State of the nation
We are currently at the cross roads and Nigeria has never had it so rough. The economy is in shambles, while the recovery effort is very slow. Unfortunately today, our nation’s economy is facing a very great challenge. NUPENG, therefore calls on the Federal Government to quickly put all economic measures in place, to reverse, resuscitate our nation’s economy.
We have on various fora called on Mr President, appreciating all his efforts in giving Nigerians a better hope and a better economy. It is unfortunate that, this clarion call is still coming, that we should put a round peg in a round hole. We deem it necessary to state clearly that some of the ministers in the Federal Executive Council are not performing, as such, we advise and call that the right peg should be put in the right hole. Consequently, NUPENG is also joining millions of Nigerians in calling that the Federal Executive Council should be dissolved and new ministers who are competent enough to move this nation forward be appointed to take over.
Redundancy in the oil and gas sector
The challenge facing us today in the oil and gas sector is the spate of redundancy as a result of closure of companies in the sector. Most of these companies are closing up their shops and moving on to other foreign countries and other countries in Africa.
Drop in international oil price and job losses
We quite share the pains and griefs in oil price drop in international market, and as the cause and critical factor of what we are facing in this country, as well as pipeline vandalisation and inflation and others. However, we are of honest opinion that we should nip the issue of redundancy in the bud and save the jobs that exist. It is the responsibility of government is to create jobs and also secure the jobs that have been created. In our own sector, in oil and gas the reverse is the case. We are therefore appealing that government needs to wake up in facing these challenges and to secure Nigerians jobs in oil and gas sector. Going across the globe, the impact the country is facing cannot be quantified to other parts of the world in countries where these oil and gas operations are taking place.
Outsourcing and casualisation of Nigerian workers
Let us commend the National Assembly for taking time to call for public hearing on this issue of outsourcing and casualisation that is booming out like wild fire in our working environment. It is quite unfortunate that today, most of our Nigerian workers are contract staff or outsourcing staff. The idea that jobs that are meant to be permanent are outsourced should be nipped in the bud. We pray that at the end of the public hearing at the National Assembly, all necessary processes should be taken to stop this great challenge that is facing us in our working environment. Nigerians in their country cannot be seen as slaves. Most of these jobs are permanent in nature and as such also pensionable, but the reverse is the case.
Petroleum Industry Government Bill
We commend the Senate for passing Petroleum Industry Government Bill (PIGB) and urge the House of Representatives to do same. We believe that it is high time the complete PIGB was passed into law by the National Assembly in order to ensure and guarantee transparency and probity in the oil and gas business environment. The core issues that are involved must be treated, trashed out and settle amicably in order to avert industrial crisis that may occur in the oil and gas sector. We would emphatically say that the workers and their representatives must have adequate say and involvement in the new institutions and agencies in whatever guise. Unions in the oil and gas industry will continue in this struggle to ensure that all Labour issues are given the necessary attention as expected. It is very unfortunate that at this time we are still talking about the nation’s refineries. We still hold the view that the Federal Government should not sell the nation’s four refineries; the PortHarcourt one, the PortHarcourt two, Kaduna and Warri refineries for security reason and for national interest. We are appealing to the government that they should be rehabilitated to work at full capacity and reduce our over dependence on imported refined petroleum products and earning and to increase our foreign reserves. We urge the Federal Government to encourage investors to follow Aliko Dangote example by establishing refineries in Nigeria to complement the existing ones.
Registration of United Labour Congress
NUPENG is an affiliate of United Labour Congress, we therefore use this period to continue to call on the Federal Government through the Ministry of Labour that they should take all necessary actions on our registration and issuance of our certificate. We have said this clearly again that a third labour centre has emerged in the country. It is not the first time in the history of the country or in the world that we are having more than one labour centre, we therefore appeal to the Federal Government to give this necessary request and to allow our labour centre to continue to function as a labour centre.
Seawolf/AMCON crisis
For four years, we have been discussing the issue of redundancy or closure of the company called Seawolf which AMCON as a federal agency took over in 2013. It is very unfortunate to state here that workers of the company have not been paid. AMCON has refused to pay these workers their terminal benefits since 2013. Therefore, the union in a very strong resolution is requesting the government to prevail on AMCON to pay the workers. We have written series of letters to the security agencies, the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Department of State Services and others. AMCON instead of paying took the matter to court and we are faced with series of adjournment since 2013. We therefore have no choice than to write an open letter to the Acting President to take all necessary measures to address the issue ofSeawolf. However we have issued notice to the government in the letter that we wrote that failure to address this problem, the NEC in session has taken a decision that within two weeks of not addressing this issue, NUPENG will withdraw our services into Abuja and around its environment.
At this point we are also directing all our PTD workers across the entire country to begin to wear red, and tanker drivers to carry this on their trucks in readiness for this struggle; it is the responsibility of government to make sure that workers in the companies that they took over are paid their terminal benefits.
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