The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Port Harcourt Zone is on a week-long security campaign demanding a safer Nigeria for all Nigerians.
It condemned in strong terms the ongoing security challenges in almost all parts of the country that have resulted in the killing of Nigerians and security men without regard to the sanctity of life.
Comr. Peter Onita, Chairman of the zone after visits to the Director of the Department of Security Services(DSS), and the state Commissioner of Police, Eboka Friday, on Wednesday, called on all hands to be on deck in the fight for the peace and unity of the country.
Onita said; “Apart from creating the security awareness to the people of the state, PENGASSAN also resolved to institute an award to encourage security officers who distinguished themselves in fighting crimes and criminality in the country as a way to end the security campaign week.
“All over the world, the fight against security challenge is the responsibility of every citizen and that of the country(Nigeria), will not be different, so we are calling of all Nigerians to join hands with the security apparatus of this nation to at least reduce the rate of insecurity across the country to the lowest minimum if not eliminating it
completely.”
The senior oil workers urged Director DSS and the Commissioner of Police to send a name to each of their most hard-working officers for recognition and award at the union’s security campaign grand finale event at Abuja, on Friday.
He said the step is aimed at appreciating the outstanding contribution of the two security organs of the FG to the safety, peace and unity of the country, stressing that their good work cannot be overlooked.
Adding that they have called on the authorities responsible for fixing the Eleme/Ogoni stretch of East-West road to fast track the work to save lives and properties.
The Chairman of the zone, Comr. Peter Onita made the call while fielding questions from newsmen, after a courtesy visit on the state. Director of the Department of Security Services (DSS), and the state Commissioner of Police, Eboka Friday, yesterday, as part of their nationwide weeklong security awareness campaign, tagged “making Nigeria and Nigerians safer and more secured.”
The campaign which started on Monday, August 9, is expected to end, on Friday, August 13, with award night to outstanding Nigerians including security officers who distinguished themselves in the fights against insecurity in the country and for the unity of Nigeria.
Speaking on the deplorable state of East-west road, Onita expressed the supports of the Oil Workers Union in the event of the blockade of the road by youths of the area in protest of the poor state of the road.
“PENGASSAN’s supports for quick government intervention to justify the huge economic importance of the road to it,” he said; ” to say the least, we are truly in support of the total shutdown of Eleme/Ogoni area of East-West road by youths of the area last week to protest the deplorable state of the road, and we join our voice to those of several others that are calling for the rehabilitation of the road without further delays.
“It is a shame that a road that holds such amount of economic value to the governments can be so neglected for decades without any serious work done to maintain, strengthen it.
“Some remedial work was done on the road during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government, so also during the short period of Late President Umaru Yar’Adua, as well as the time of President Good Luck Jonathan, and now sitting President Muhammadu Buhari, and nothing has been done on it,” he recalled.
He described it as unfortunate that no government has made concerted efforts to fix the road, Onita called on the FG, the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs that is being led by Sen. Goodwill Akpabio, to save the lives and property of citizens and the economy of the nation by fast-tracking rehabilitation work on the road.
He said it is shameful the way succeeding governments have neglected the road for several decades and recalled the efforts of the union to draw the attention of the governments on the state of the facility.
“PENGASSAN has before now written to call the attention, engaged the levels of governments on the need to fix the road.
“Apart from the fact that some of our members are indigenes of Eleme/Ogoni many others live around the area; the governments make a huge amount of revenue from that are, so the economic benefits of the road to the country cannot be easily quantified, so it is only natural that the governments should prioritise the maintenance of the road without waiting for appeals.
“But for several years now, that has not happened, and that road has become a deadly trap to lives of citizens and grave danger to the governments business investments, it is indeed unfortunate.”
Responding to the visit, the state police boss thanked the group for considering the police for the award and promised to partner and support their activities in the state.
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