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Tag: NUPENG

  • Buhari remains only alternative to move Nigeria forward – NUPENG

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, on Sunday said the jubilation that followed the arrival of President Muhammadu Buhari was an indication that the country had no alternative to him now.

    Tokunbo Korodo, the Chairman, South-West Chapter of the union told newsmen in Lagos that Nigerians were in happy mood with the arrival of their President.

    “We believe in our president and I can tell you, categorically, that there is no alternative to Buhari in moving the country forward,” he said.

    According to the chairman, the people came out immensely to welcome him, because they believed in him to turn around the ailing economy.

    “It is with happiness that Nigerians came to welcome their president, after 104 days in United Kingdom’s hospital.

    “The gesture showed by Nigerians is a sign that they believe in him and they have been praying for him to recover from the illness.

    “They have hope in him that he is back to turn the country’s ailing economy round.

    “Everybody is happy to receive the president back in the country.”

    Mr. Korodo urged Mr. Buhari to continue with his good work.

    “Our president should not relent in his effort in getting rid of corrupt Nigerians and also ensure that money recovered from treasury looters is pump into the economy.’’

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that on August 19, many residents of Federal Capital Territory thronged the major roads from airport to catch a glimpse of the president who had spent 104 days outside Nigeria.

    He was on medical vacation in London.

    Some were seen singing, dancing with banners of the president’s portraits in their hands while others jostled to take photographs of his convoy with their cell phones.

    The presidential aircraft that conveyed Mr. Buhari landed at the airport at about 4:35 p.m. to the excitement of all those present at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

    The aircraft then taxied to the tarmac amidst music played by the Guards Brigade along with a cultural troupe performing at the airport.

    The president later mounted a rostrum and saluted the guard of honour before getting into his official car and driven to the presidential villa.

     

  • News Hour 22-06-2017 I TNGtv

  • Reconstruction work on Apapa-Wharf road can cause fuel scarcity – NUPENG

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has expressed worry that the gridlock being experienced by petroleum tankers and articulated vehicles on Apapa-Wharf Road may result to fuel scarcity.

    Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, the South-West Chairman of the union said this in an interview with the newsmen in Lagos on Thursday.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the gridlock is due to ongoing reconstruction of the Apapa-Wharf Road

    Korodo said that since the inauguration of reconstruction of the road, petroleum tanker drivers had been on cue, finding it difficult to gain access to the tank farms to get products.

    The chairman said that the tank farms within the Apapa Marine Bridge Road received petroleum products from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) which was to be distributed by petroleum tankers to different parts of the country.

    He, however, said that the reconstruction of the road would affect movement of articulated vehicles to the port, adding that it was also taking its toll on tanker drivers as they now find it difficult loading at tank farms in the area.

    “The reconstruction work on Apapa Wharf Road will affect loading of our petroleum tankers at the depots.

    “Since the inauguration of reconstruction works, our tankers have queued up on the roads finding it difficult to gain access to tank farms.

    “Even queuing of articulated vehicles, going to the port have blocked the access road and tankers have been on the same spot for three days now.

    “We want to apply to NNPC to use its System 2B distribution channel to pump products to its depots in Mosinmi, Ejigbo, Ibadan, Ilorin and Ore so that most of the tankers will stop coming to Apapa to load.

    “It is irrational now for tankers to come and load at Apapa tank farms because the access roads are blocked and traffic is the order of the day,’’ he said.

    Korodo called on NNPC to address the lingering issues before it degenerates into fuel scarcity, adding that the delay in getting petroleum products to filling stations would be seen as lack of products.

    TheNewsGuru.com recalls that the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola had on Saturday signed a N4.34 Billion Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dangote Group and other stakeholders for reconstruction of the Apapa-Wharf Road.

    The project is to be funded by AG Dangote Construction Company Ltd, an arm of the Dangote Group, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Flour Mills of Nigeria.

    TheNewsGuru.com also reports that the site was handed over to the stakeholders for commencement of reconstruction works after the agreement was signed in Lagos.

    Fashola explained that the gridlock in Apapa became compounded and had reached an unbearable level as transporters ignored the old system of moving cargo through rail to trucks and containers.

     

     

    NAN

     

  • Petroleum marketers in Ekiti suspend strike

    Petroleum marketers in Ekiti suspend strike

    The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in Ekiti on Sunday suspended its strike.

    TheNewsGuru reports that IPMAN embarked on the action on May 25, over demolition of some petrol stations and the revocation of some Certificate of Occupancy by the Gov. Ayo Fayose.

    The suspension of the strike is contained in a communiqué issued in Osogbo at the end of a peace meeting called by Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun.

    The communiqué, which was signed by Aregbesola, Fayose and the representatives of the marketers, was made available to newsmen at Osun Government House where the peace meeting was held.

    According to the communiqué, an ad hoc committee would be constituted to fashion out in clear terms the conditions and guidelines for the establishment and operations of filling stations in Ekiti state.

    It stated that the committee, to comprise of representatives of Ekiti state government and oil and gas stakeholders, shall begin work on June 7.

    “In the spirit of reconciliation, the Ekiti government has agreed to pleas for reversal of the revocation of some Certificates of Occupancy of landed properties on which filling stations are built, except the ones on waterways and canals,” the communique said.

    It also stated that the Ekiti government had agreed to stop further demolitions pending the outcome of the committee’s report.

    “The Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), IPMAN and other related oil and gas unions, hereby, suspend the industrial action embarked upon by their members, with immediate effect,” it said.

    Fayose, while speaking with journalists after the meeting, commended the black marketers, who had taken over the streets of Ado Ekiti and other towns.

    He said their services cushioned the effect of the scarcity caused by the strike.

    Fayose, however, said that with the fuel marketers resuming operations, black marketers were sure to fizzle out.

    On his part, Aregbesola said the resolution of the crisis was a confirmation that the people had the capacity to resolve their differences.

    He commended the maturity of his Ekiti state counterpart and the fuel marketers for allowing the crisis to be successfully resolved.

     

  • We’ll resist any attempt to increase prices of petroleum products – NUPENG tells FG, NASS

    The Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has said it will resist any attempt by the Federal Government and National Assembly to further increase prices of petroleum products.

    The union also criticised the proposed N5 petrol levy by the Senate, describing it as a huge joke.

    Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, the South-West Chairman of NUPENG, said in Lagos on Saturday that the proposal was ill-timed and also smacked of insensitivity to the current economic hardships facing Nigerians.

    He wondered how the nation’s Upper Chamber could think of another fuel price increase when Nigerians were “striving to
    cope with the current harsh economic realities”.

    “How can the Senate propose such a bill at this particular period when poor Nigerians can hardly feed themselves?

    “The prices of foodstuffs have tripled in the market, while workers’ salary has not been increased,” Korodo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    Sen. Kabiru Gaya (APC-Kano), the Chairman, Senate Committee on Works, had on June 1, presented a bill entitled, “National Roads Bill” to the House.

    The bill recommends that Nigerians should pay N5 levy on every litre of imported petroleum products and that levy will form part of the proposed national roads fund.

    It also recommends the deduction of 0.5 per cent on fares paid by passengers travelling on inter-state roads to commercial mass transit operators as well as the return of toll gates on federal roads, among others.

    Korodo said:“Just a year ago, the pump price of petrol was increased from N87 to N145 per litre and Nigerians accepted the increment because of the sincerity of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

    “Any attempt to adjust the price of petrol under any guise will be resisted by the Organised Labour.”

    The NUPENG chief called on well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the leadership of the Senate to step down the bill.

     

     

    NAN

     

  • Tankers drivers’ strike will hold as scheduled on Monday – NUPENG

    Tankers drivers’ strike will hold as scheduled on Monday – NUPENG

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has said its Petroleum Tanker Drivers had been mobilised to ensure no movement of petroleum tankers as their nationwide strike begins on Monday.

    Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, the South-West Chairman of NUPENG Lagos Council, made the assertion on Sunday in an interview with the newsmen in Lagos.

    According to Korodo, all the tanker drivers have abandoned their trucks in respect of the indefinite strike which will begin on Monday unless the Federal Government intervenes.


    The chairman said the drivers were forced to down tools due to unresolved issues concerning their welfare, poor remuneration, insecurity and bad roads.

    “The tanker drivers for the past three years have been appealing to the Nigeria Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) to increase their salary but they refused on the ground that spare parts had increased.

    “NARTO said that government has not increased their fares, so they will not increase their salary.

    “Apart from this, most of the roads they ply are bad and this has resulted in accidents or damaging their trucks.

    “The activities of the official of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps on the roads is not helping the matter,’’ Korodo told NAN.

    “The tanker drivers are forced to break the seal of their product on the pretext that they were carrying adulterated product.

    “Most of these drivers are harassed by these officers, at times the tanker and the driver will be detained for close to a month,’’ he said.

    Korodo also said that more than 2,000 staff of Capital Oil and Gas Ltd., were on the line due to their closure by the Federal Government due to some issues between the company and NNPC.

    He said that the union wanted the government to resolve the matter so that the company would be opened and the staff and tanker drivers would resume duty.

    The chairman, however, said that the strike would not affect activities in filling stations, depots or refineries across the nation.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the PTD branch of the NUPENG had on Friday (March 31) said they would begin a nationwide strike on Monday (April 3).

    NUPENG’s President, Mr Igwe Achese, announced this in a communique in Lagos at the end of its Central Working Committee meeting held at the union’s secretariat in Yaba.

    The communique said the strike would draw the attention of the Federal Government and other stakeholders to some unresolved issues bordering on the welfare of workers, bad roads, poor remuneration, insecurity and the alleged excesses of some security agencies.

     

  • Fuel scarcity looms as Petroleum Tanker drivers threaten nationwide strike on Monday

    Fuel scarcity looms as Petroleum Tanker drivers threaten nationwide strike on Monday

    The Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTD) arm of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) says it will commence a nationwide strike on Monday.

    NUPENG’s President, Mr Igwe Achese, announced this in a signed communique on Friday in Lagos, at the end of its Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting held at the union’s secretariat in Yaba.

    The communique said the strike would draw the attention of the Federal Government and other stakeholders to some unresolved issues bordering on the welfare of workers, such as bad roads, poor remuneration, insecurity and the alleged excesses of some security agencies.

    “The CWC-in-Session considers inhumane, the refusal of the National Association of Transport Owners (NARTO) to commence negotiation with the union for the renewal of the expired Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) on the working conditions of our Tanker Driver members in the PTD branch, after several appeals and even an ultimatum.
    “The CWC-in-Session, therefore, resolves to give full backing to any industrial action the members in this sector might decide to take with effect from Monday, April 3, 2017.

    “To avert the pains and discomfort the action might cause, the CWC-in-Session calls on the Federal Government to urgently intervene and apprehend the unfortunate situation, to enable NARTO meet its obligations to tanker drivers,’’ the communique said.

    The communique also called on the National Assembly to urgently pass the Petroleum Industry Bill, in order to tackle all the issues of corruption plaguing the oil sector.

    It also called for the commercialisation of the operations of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), as well as the turn-around-maintenance for the refineries, to increase local production and reduce the importation of petroleum products.

    The communique commended the efforts of the federal government to encourage operators of illegal refineries to be integrated into the establishment of modular refineries.

    The union also vowed to resist any attempt to increase the pump price of petrol.

    It also commended efforts of the government to shore up the Naira against the Dollar and the decline in the inflationary rate to 17.5 per cent.

    The communique, however, called on government to address the challenges of poverty, unemployment, hunger and the rising cost of goods and services.

    It also appealed to government to adopt measures to restructure the economy, as well as address challenges confronting the power sector.

    The association commended the federal government’s determined efforts at eliminating the Boko Haram sect from the Sambisa forest, but called for increased military intelligence gathering to stem the spate of suicide bombings in Maiduguri, Borno.

    While commending the efforts of the Police in combating crime, the union also called for increased surveillance to tackle rising cases of kidnappings, rape and other crimes.

  • NUPENG suspends 3-day warning strike after meeting with FG

    NUPENG suspends 3-day warning strike after meeting with FG

    The leadership of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has suspended its three days warning strike which started today (Wednesday) after reaching a consensus with the Federal Government, reports reaching TheNewsGuru.com can authoritatively confirm.

    The minister of Labour and Productivity, Senator Chris Ngige who led the Federal Government’s delegation to the meeting said the government will enforce compliance by the oil companies with agreement reached with the unions in the oil and gas industry.

    The meeting which was conveyed by the minister was meant to provide lasting solution to the lingering industrial crisis in the sector.

    In Ngige’s words: “A lot of agreements have been reached but not complied with by the IOCs and the LOCs as petitioned by the unions.

    “It is even more painful and regretful that NNPC has also not lived up to their agreements.

    “So, the essence of the meeting is for us as re-conciliators stop the pending strike by NUPENG and PENGASSAN,’’ he said.

    Ngige also said the meeting was an intervention move to agree on timelines for the effective implementation of these agreements.

    “I also want to appeal to NUPENG to call off the strike so that we can discuss situation without duress,’’ he said.

    Mr Olabode Johnson, President of PENGASSAN, however, decried the non-compliance of agreements reached earlier with oil companies.

    “These oil companies have refused to respect the agreements reached between the Federal Government and the unions.

    “So, for this meeting to be fruitful there must be some level of compliance because PENGASSAN has also issued an ultimatum, which was also put on hold at the instance of this meeting.

    “If we are not fully satisfied at the end of this meeting then we have to go back and re-issue the ultimatum,’’ he said.

    On his part, the President of NUPENG, Mr Igwe Achese, said about 300 workers had so far been retrenched by these oil companies.

    Achese said several pleas made to avert these retrenchments by the oil companies fell on deaf ears.

    “We had asked ourselves why our members should be sacked on daily basis without due consultation. How long must things continue like this.

    “We have heard the government’s appeal to us to suspend the warning strike, the outcome of this meeting will make us to take a final decision on it,’’ he said.

     

  • NUPENG strike: FG pledges to enforce compliance with agreements

    The Federal Government says it will enforce compliance by the oil companies with agreement reached with the unions in the oil and gas industry.

    The Minister of Labour and Productivity, Senator Chris Ngige gave the assurance at a reconciliatory stakeholders meeting with officials of labour unions in the sector on Wednesday in Abuja.

    The leaderships of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) were in attendance.

    Others are the concerned Nigeria National Petroleum Co-operation (NNPC), National Salaries and Wages Commission, and the oil and Servicing companies, among others.

    Ngige said the meeting was to provide lasting solution to the lingering industrial crisis in the sector.

    “A lot of agreements have been reached but not complied with by the IOCs and the LOCs as petitioned by the unions.

    “It is even more painful and regretful that NNPC has also not lived up to their agreements.

    “So, the essence of the meeting is for us as re-conciliators stop the pending strike by NUPENG and PENGASSAN,’’ he said.

    Ngige also said the meeting was an intervention move to agree on timelines for the effective implementation of these agreements.

    “I also want to appeal to NUPENG to call off the strike so that we can discuss situation without duress,’’ he said.

    Mr Olabode Johnson, President of PENGASSAN, however, decried the non-compliance of agreements reached earlier with oil companies.

    “These oil companies have refused to respect the agreements reached between the Federal Government and the unions.

    “So, for this meeting to be fruitful there must be some level of compliance because PENGASSAN has also issued an ultimatum, which was also put on hold at the instance of this meeting.

    “If we are not fully satisfied at the end of this meeting then we have to go back and re-issue the ultimatum,’’ he said.

    On his part, the President of NUPENG, Mr Igwe Achese, said about 300 workers had so far been retrenched by these oil companies.

    Achese said several pleas made to avert these retrenchments by the oil companies fell on deaf ears.

    “We had asked ourselves why our members should be sacked on daily basis without due consultation. How long must things continue like this.

    “We have heard the government’s appeal to us to suspend the warning strike, the outcome of this meeting will make us to take a final decision on it,’’ he said.

    The contentious issues borders on non-implementation of collective agreements, staff retrenchment, insecurity in the Niger Delta, deplorable state of roads leading to refineries among others.

    However, the meeting was still ongoing as at the time of filing this report.

     

     

    NAN

  • Fuel scarcity looms as NUPENG declares 3-day nationwide strike

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has declared a nationwide strike beginning from today.

    The strike which will affect the flow of petrol to filling stations, has shut down seven crude flow stations in the Niger Delta, a union official said on Wednesday.

    The strike is in protest over pay and job losses. NUPENG is one of several labour unions that have criticised oil companies for sacking workers in the last few months.

    “Filling stations, petrol tankers and all NUPENG members are involved,” Cogent Ojobo, NUPENG’s Warri zonal chairman, said.

    The union said the strike would last for three days and involve around 10,000 workers.

    Ojobo said union officials would hold talks with the labour minister in the capital, Abuja, later on Wednesday. “If the issues at stake are resolved and a communiqué signed, the strike would be called off,” he said.

    He also said workers had gone on strike at seven crude oil flow stations in and around Oleh, a town in Delta state, which is in the Niger Delta.

    “Seven flow stations belonging to NPDC were shut by the workers and they are still shut now,” Ojobo said. He also said the workers, who are employed by contractors, say they have not been paid. The flow stations were shut on Tuesday.

    The Labour ministry spokesman was not immediately available to comment.

    Nigeria has been hit hard by a slump in crude oil prices in the past two years, which helped to push the country into recession. A wave of militant attacks in the southern Niger Delta oil hub throughout 2016 has hampered production.

    Ndu Ughamadu, a spokesman for Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), a subsidiary of the state-run oil company NNPC, said checks were being made to establish whether the Niger Delta flow stations had been affected.

    Last week, NUPENG held a strike at Total’s fuel depots in a protest over sackings, but it was suspended after one day after an agreement was reached. No details have emerged about the deal.