Politics

Saboteurs, detractors against reforms in oil sector, NGO alleges

A non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Civil Society for Good Governance (CSNGG), has condemned in its entirety the protest staged on Tuesday by the workers of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) which accused the management of the Commission among others of non-remittance of their pension deductions, poor working environment, insufficient working, non-payment of outstanding claims for staff medicals.

Nigerian Tribune reports that the workers during the protest issued a 24-hour ultimatum over their pension deductions and other demands with a threatening to pull out from terminals across the country if the Commission’s management refused to address issues affecting their welfare.

Addressing the media in Abuja on Thursday, CSNGG president, Ambassador Adefila Kamal, described the protest as a plot by a few misguided members of the public who are against the reform being championed by the management of the NUPRC under the leadership of the chief executive officer (CEO), Engineer Gbenga Komolafe.

According to CSNGG leader, NUPRC under Komolafe, has not only embarked on laudable reform to reposition the Commission to promotion of sustainable value creation from Nigeria’s petroleum resources for shared prosperity, it has also ensured that due process was followed in every of its dealings as well as prioritise the welfare of staff and management team.

“We are aware that in its move to within and even outside NUPRC to sanitise the oil and gas industry in Nigeria, the Engineer Gbenga Komolafe-led Commission per plan of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu came up with regulations to curb oil theft and losses through operational and administrative leakages. These regulations within a few months of their introduction have resulted in the transparent bridging of oil and gas products and price equalisation management that have saved the government billions of naira.

“NUPRC in less than a year under the focus, transparent, purposeful and dogged leadership of Engineer Gbenga Komolafe has ensured strict adherence to all rules and regulations guiding approvals and issuance of licensing in the upstream sector. The chief executive officer of NUPRC did not only ensure due process was followed in every of the Commission’s dealings but also prioritised the well being of his staff and management team. The commission has also been praised for its sterling performance and ability to raise about N174 billion in signature bonuses paid for marginal oil fields and developed regulatory initiatives within a short period,” Kamal said.

An umbrella body of 87 civil society organisations in Nigeria, the CSNGG charged the staff, unions within and outside the Commission to cooperate with NUPRC in the discharge of its responsibilities which among others include monitoring operations at drilling sites, producing wells, production platforms and flow stations, crude oil export terminals.

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