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Tag: PENGASSAN

  • BREAKING: NUPENG, PENGASSAN direct members in Chevron to shut down operations

    BREAKING: NUPENG, PENGASSAN direct members in Chevron to shut down operations

    Labour unions in the oil and gas sector have directed their members in Chevron Nigeria Limited to commence a total shut down of the company’s operations following the sack of 600 Nigerian employees and other anti-Labour practices by the management of the company.

    The Unions, National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) gave the directive in a joint statement on Sunday.

    NUPENG’S President, Mr Williams Akporeha, and the President, PENGASSAN, Mr Festus Osifo, said: “We have directed our members in Chevron to withdraw their services.

    “We also call on the Federal Government to call Chevron Management to order, otherwise we can no longer guarantee industrial peace in the oil and gas sector.

    “Here is our fatherland and we have a labour law that regulates the activities of organisations in Nigeria; this law cannot be breached; We must follow the process.”

    The duo alleged that Chevron management on Independence Day, notified about 2,000 of its employees that their services were no longer required.

    Both leaders also alleged that the Chevron management had asked those employees who were still interested in working with them to apply afresh.

    “This development runs contrary to Nigeria’s laws regulating the Oil and Gas industry as it does not protect our national interest.

    “This is an imperialist agenda that must not be allowed to stay; most especially as we have just finished celebrating our 60th independence as a sovereign country,” the duo said.

    Earlier in a statement, Chevron’s General Manager Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Esimaje Brikinn, said the welfare and safety of its workforce was one of its highest priorities.

    Brikinn said: “Making changes to the organisation is never easy for anyone that will be impacted, but it is to improve our ability to remain competitive in Nigeria.

    “Reducing the cost and improving the efficiency of our operations are critical to generating more revenues for the Federal Government of Nigeria,” he said.

  • PENGASSAN, NUPENG announce date to commence disruption of oil, gas operations nationwide

    PENGASSAN, NUPENG announce date to commence disruption of oil, gas operations nationwide

    The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN), alongside the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) have threatened to disrupt oil and gas operations across the country by Sunday, August 16, should the Federal Government fail to pay their salaries, Friday.

    The protesting senior oil workers commenced the peaceful protests on Wednesday and gathered at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Delta state, Thursday, in continuation of their three-day warning strike.

    The protesters, clad in red attires, bore placards with inscriptions such as “No To Forceful Enrollment into IPPIS”; Release Our Salaries Now or No Dialogue” and “We Are Not Against IPPIS but Create Another Platform That Addresses Our Peculiarities” amongst others.

    Addressing the members, Vice Chairman, Warri Zonal Council of PENGASSAN and Secretary of Regulators Forum, Prince Audu Oshiokhamele warned that if their salaries are not released by Friday then all oil operations will be shut down by midnight of Sunday.

    “I want to assure you, our Union members, that if our salaries are not released before Friday (tomorrow), by 12 midnight, on Sunday we will shut down the whole nation. What we are just doing now is a warning protest, but by Sunday, the music will change,” he warned.

    Prince Oshiokhamele, who was in company of Mr. James Esiomor, PTI branch Chairman of PENGASSAN and Mr. Ejokirhie Jahpurpose, Chairman of PTI branch of NUPENG, expressed surprise that the Federal Ministry of Finance claimed ignorance of non-payment of their salaries in the last three months, but are now making efforts to placate the Union.

    “We are surprised that the Ministry of Finance, on Wednesday, denied that they are not aware that our salaries have been stopped, while they are making every effort to see how they can placate the Union. They can’t placate us until our salaries are paid,” he said.

    The Warri Zonal Council Vice Chairman of PENGASSAN noted that the only solution to their threat is for the Federal Government to pay the salaries of the protesting workers by today before they can return for negotiations on the IPPIS issue.

    While not against the implementation of the IPPIS policy, Prince Oshiokhamele explained that they are clamouring for the creation of another platform that will take care of peculiarities in their operations which is different from that of core civil servants.

    Recalling that the issue concerning their work peculiarities was first raised in 2016, he said a tripartite committee was set up under the then Minister of Trade without success because the Director of IPPIS failed to attend meetings to find a solution.

    “Again, in November last year, another committee was set up in order for us to ensure that the peculiarities under the Federal Ministry of Petroleum are captured and still nothing has come out of that. We can’t operate under IPPIS as put in place now because no two workers earn the same salaries. All our salaries are performance driven.

    “All efforts to meet IPPIS Director to simulate how he is going to capture our peculiarities have failed. Enough is enough; we can’t be slaves in our own country. If by tomorrow, we don’t get our salaries be rest assured that we will shut down all oil operations. That’s the only language they understand,” he emphasized.

  • Multi-billion contract fraud rocks PTI

    Multi-billion contract fraud rocks PTI

    The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Effurun, Professor Sunny Iyuke has been accused of involvement in a contract fraud amounting to N5.8 billion.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Audu Oshiokhamele, Chairman of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Effurun branch made the accusation.

    The fraud busted by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) indicated that the N5.8 billion was allegedly withdrawn from PTI’s accounts in three years with no regards for due process.

    Allegations of contract racketeering and salary payments to about 500 ghost workers in the organisation were also levelled against the CEO of the PTI.

    Meanwhile, according to documents exclusively obtained by The ICIR, Oshiokhamele had on the 14th of February petitioned the Ministry of Petroleum Resources over the matter.

    “We wish to bring to the attention of the Honourable Minister of Petroleum Resources on the uncanny prevailing atmosphere at the Petroleum Training Institute arising from recent petitions from our Association and many other petitioners bothering on gross mismanagement and mal-administration by prof. Sunny Iyuke led management,” the document reads.

    The 41-page petition claimed claimed that Iyuke arbitrarily moved the money as virement from the PTI’s personnel cost with supports of Aliyu Mafindi, PTI’s Director of Finance and Account.

    Mafindi allegedly used his accounts to launder the funds from the institute’s accounts through transfer from the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) – to Remita which allowed the funds to be easily manipulated.

    However, findings by The ICIR revealed that three hundred and thirty-seven million Naira (N337M) was discovered to have been removed from institute’s personnel cost from 2017 to 2019, using over 500 names of staff in a pay voucher number (PV no.) 78313 of which the fund was claimed to have been credited to dead, retired and existing staff.

    Acting on the petition, the Human Resources Management Department of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources directed Iyuke to make formal representation at the office of the Permanent Secretary of the ministry within 72 hours.

    However, when contacted, Iyuke told The ICIR to “Kindly reach out to my public affairs? Please reach out to Mr Brown. I don’t want to comment on this issue”.

    When Brown Ukanifimoni, the Public Relations Officer of PTI was contacted, he said the matter was with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissions (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC).

    “The issue is still with EFCC and ICPC, why not let us cross our hands and wait for their response and know who is exactly corrupt?

    “They have been writing petitions against now. We have attended several meetings with EFCC and ICPC before now, let’s just wait for their response,” he said.

    All efforts sought by The ICIR to get the comment of the EFCC and the ICPC) proved abortive.

    However, Etanabene Benedict, PTI’s Procurement Development Director refuted all the claims.

    “You see those PENGASSAN people, they lack knowledge, and they have been alleging the principal/ Chief executive before now,” Benedict argued.

  • BREAKING: PENGASSAN suspends planned strike as Wike retraces step

    The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN has suspended its planned strike which was to take effect midnight of Sunday, April 19.

    This follows the release of 21 oil workers by the Rivers State Government who were arrested for violating Coronavirus lockdown in the State.

    In a statement signed by PENGASSAN President Ndukaku Ohaeri and General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, the oil workers say having achieved the primary demand in its earlier ultimatum, it hereby suspends the planned industrial action.

    The statement called on the Federal Government of Nigeria, relevant agencies and all Oil and Gas Industry stakeholders to guarantee unfettered movement of oil and gas workers on essential services in all territories of the federation if PENGASSAN and other oil workers are to continue to provide these services.

    PENGASSAN has also called on the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC to immediately adjust its Coronavirus testing protocol to include all offshore-going workers, to prevent possible incidence of Covid-19 on oil installations with its grave consequences and eliminate need for 14-day self-isolation before travelling offshore with its attendant huge cost implications on organisations and psychological effect on workers.

    The workers appreciated the Federal Government and other relevant authorities for their intervention and thanked all patriotic Nigerians who supported their cause as well as salute its detained members for their show of maturity in the face of obvious and unwarranted provocation, especially the “MOBIL 21”

    On Thursday, April 16, PENGASSAN raised alarm over the what it described as illegal arrest and detention of 21 (19 male and 2 female) ExxonMobil personnel by the Rivers State Police Command on the pretext that they violated the State’s Movement Restriction Order put in place to curtail the spread of Coronavirus; the allegation which runs contrary to the letters of the said Order which expressly exempted oil and gas workers on essential services.

    The Rivers State Government had earlier on Sunday released the 21 staff of Exxon Mobil who were arrested for violating the State Executive Order restricting movement in the state.

    State Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Professor Zaccheus Adangor said the Mobil staff were released without charges and that the State Government will no longer press charges against them.

    Professor Adango who monitored the release of the 21 Exxon Mobil staff at the State Isolation Centre at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium Port Harcourt, says they were released following interventions by well-meaning Nigerians.

    The 21 Exxon Mobil staff were arrested on the April 16 after they had entered Rivers State from neighboring Akwa Ibom State in violation of the Executive Order which stipulates that health authorities must ascertain the Coronavirus status of those entering the State.

  • BREAKING: PENGASSAN orders suspension of crude oil production over Wike’s arrest of Exxonmobil workers

    BREAKING: PENGASSAN orders suspension of crude oil production over Wike’s arrest of Exxonmobil workers

    Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, Sunday directed members to shut operations and all activities at the nation’s oil rigs and export terminals from midnight over the detention of 21 offshore members by the Rivers State Government since Thursday.

    THe association revealed in a statement on Sunday that by midnight today all export facilities will stop operation as well as suspension of Production & Maintenance Services Reports.

    Statement reads: Recall that on Thursday the 16th of April 2020, we raised the alarm over the illegal arrest and detention of 21(19 male and 2 female) member staff of ExxonMobil by the Rivers State Police Command on the pretext that they violated the State Executive Order on the prevention of movement to curtail the spread of the Coronavirus in the state.

    It is more than 48 hours today that these patriotic workers who were lured from the border between Rivers and Akwa Ibom are still detained under inhabitable and inhuman conditions and denied access to basic necessities of life at Elekhahia Stadium. All entreaties to the Rivers State Government to see reasons that they were on essential duties which is for the economic interest of the country have been rebuffed.

    Also, it has become obvious that the Federal Government who through the Presidential Task Force on the COVID-19 Pandemic cannot guarantee access to work locations for our members who have volunteered to sacrifice their lives and comfort to salvage the Country from the impending economic crisis occasioned by this world-wide

    The Federal Government and relevant authorities having failed to secure the release of these 21 comrades on legitimate national assignment, the leadership of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), having no other option regrettably direct all our members to commence the withdrawal of services as follows;

    1. By midnight Sunday 19th April 2020, all Export facilities will stop operation as well as suspension of Production & Maintenance Services Reports.

    2. That by 12 noon on Monday 20th April all our members will withdraw all forms of services relating to crude oil production, refining, distribution and supplies.

    This directive will remain in force until assurances of our members’ safety are guaranteed by Federal Government. We are in consultation with our units, branches and other sister Unions who will also be joining the action as
    the safety of our members is our uttermost priority.

    Comrade Ndukaku M. Ohaeri
    President, PENGASSAN

    Comrade Lumumba Okugbawa
    General Secretary, PENGASSAN

    Cc: FML&E; GMD; DSS; IGP; DPR; MPR; IOC’SRecall that on Thursday the 16th of April 2020, we raised the alarm over the illegal arrest and detention of 21(19 male and 2 female) member staff of ExxonMobil by the Rivers State Police Command on the pretext that they violated the State Executive Order on the prevention of movement to curtail the spread of the Coronavirus in the state.

    It is more than 48 hours today that these patriotic workers who were lured from the border between Rivers and Akwa Ibom are still detained under inhabitable and inhuman conditions and denied access to basic necessities of life at Elekhahia Stadium. All entreaties to the Rivers State Government to see reasons that they were on essential duties which is for the economic interest of the country have been rebuffed.

    Also, it has become obvious that the Federal Government who through the Presidential Task Force on the COVID-19 Pandemic cannot guarantee access to work locations for our members who have volunteered to sacrifice their lives and comfort to salvage the Country from the impending economic crisis occasioned by this world-wide

    The Federal Government and relevant authorities having failed to secure the release of these 21 comrades on legitimate national assignment, the leadership of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), having no other option regrettably direct all our members to commence the withdrawal of services as follows;

    1. By midnight Sunday 19th April 2020, all Export facilities will stop operation as well as suspension of Production & Maintenance Services Reports.

    2. That by 12 noon on Monday 20th April all our members will withdraw all forms of services relating to crude oil production, refining, distribution and supplies.

    This directive will remain in force until assurances of our members’ safety are guaranteed by Federal Government. We are in consultation with our units, branches and other sister Unions who will also be joining the action as
    the safety of our members is our uttermost priority.

    Comrade Ndukaku M. Ohaeri
    President, PENGASSAN

    Comrade Lumumba Okugbawa
    General Secretary, PENGASSAN

    Cc: FML&E; GMD; DSS; IGP; DPR; MPR; IOC’S

  • BREAKING: PENGASSAN drags Wike to FG, accuses him of hostage-taking

    The national body of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has dragged Rivers State Government, led by Governor Nyesom Wike to the federal government over arrest and harassment of its members, the most recent are members in Tecon Oil Company and Exxonmobil who were said to be on essential duty.

    In a statement issued by PENGASSAN’s General Secretary, Comrade Lumumba Okugbawa, the Association implored the federal government and all interested stakeholders to as a matter of economic and national urgency prevail on the security agencies in Rivers State and all other states to stop the unpleasant anti-workers and economic posture that amounts to hostage taking.

    “We warn that should this high level of intimidation harassment persists, PENGASSAN, will in consultation with our sister union in the sector have no option than order our members out of the various oil platforms, rigs…” Statement partly reads.

    Meanwhile, Gov Wike had earlier insinuated that the federal government is plotting to infect, kill Rivers people hence his aggressive approach at implementing a lockdown order in the state.

    Wike’s words on arrest of 21 Exxonmobil staff: “Even though security agencies advised that they be allowed to go back to Akwa Ibom State, I insisted that the law must take its course,” Mr Wike said. “This is because nobody is above the law.”

    Mr Wike said the state government could not ascertain the health status of the arrested Mobil employees.

    “As a responsive government, we have quarantined them in line with the relevant health protocols and they will be charged to court.”

    The arrest of the Mobil workers comes a few days after two Caverton Helicopters pilots and their ten passengers were arrested, charged to court, and remanded in Port Harcourt prison for allegedly violating the lockdown order in Rivers State.

    “Some people want the escalation of the virus in Rivers State. People were paid to canvass a negative narrative on Caverton pilots.

    “We are doing what we can within available resources to fight coronavirus. You can fly, but as you fly and land, don’t enter our territory.

    “We will fight this matter legally. ExxonMobil does not operate in Rivers State. That they have a point at the Onne seaport does not mean that they operate in Rivers State.

    READ ALSO: Wike inaugurates nine commissioners, 17 permanent secretaries
    “People in Abuja are not happy. They want Rivers State to be infected. They want to kill Rivers people and I will not allow it. I was elected to protect Rivers people. Rivers State is not a pariah State.

    “People selling Akara are being charged to court in Lagos. But they want us to allow oil companies to flout the law. I am a boy to Rivers people, not to anybody outside Rivers State,” the governor said.

    In contrast with Governor Wike’s position, the police in River state had earlier told PREMIUM TIMES that the workers have not been arrested.

    “They were not arrested,” the police spokesperson in the state, Nnamdi Omoni, said on Friday.

    “The CP (the commissioner of police) and other service commanders went on an inspection tour of all the border points, when we got to the Ogoni axis we saw these people (the Mobil workers), they wanted to come in. They showed us a letter but that was not the issue; the issue was that they were not screened. The people were taken from that border post to the screening centre at the Elekaya Stadium.

    “They are still being screened (for coronavirus). Nobody arrested them.”

  • PTI reacts to PENGASSAN’s corruption, contract racketeering allegations

    PTI reacts to PENGASSAN’s corruption, contract racketeering allegations

    The Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) has debunked corruption allegations leveled against it by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).

    In a statement circulated to newsmen Monday, and signed by the deputy director, Public Affairs, Brown Ukanefimoni, the PTI management warned the perpetrators that such allegations are tantamount to slander and libel.

    It further urged members of the public to keep an open mind until the outcome of the investigations.

    Describing the accusations as “spurious” and an attempt to soil the good works of the Sunny Iyuke- led management, the statement averred that staff’ welfare has topped management’s priorities since its inception in 2016.

    PENGASSAN had reportedly accused the Iyuke-led PTI administration of embezzling a whooping sum of N600 million from the institution’s account, illegal deduction of staff monies due the National Health Insurance Scheme, the various pension administrators, among other fraudulent activities.

    Denying all allegations, the statement said, “Ordinarily, we do not want to join issues with PENGASSAN since we are not on Press trail. This reckless allegations against the Iyuke-led management were calculated attempts to bring the management to disrepute among the right thinking members of the public.

    “To set the record straight, the Institute’s Management wishes to state that the PTI Management has never been caught in the web of financial embezzlement from the Institute’s account, not to mention a whopping sum of 600m as alleged by the union.

    “That, the allegation of massive fraud and corruption where management was alleged to have withdrawn monies recklessly from PTI account is false and a figment of imagination of mischief makers.

    “That, Management at no time withdrew 286million naira to offset the bills of Delta State Board of Internal Revenue. Management wishes to challenge anyone with such proof.

    “That, the issue of contract racketeering is an unfounded and baseless clue purported by agents of strife and destabilization on a mission to truncate the good works of Prof. Iyuke. To boot, Management has always followed Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) guidelines in the award of contracts.

    “That, at no time has the Director of Finance and Accounts (DFA) used his personal account to launder Institute’s funds for self-aggrandizement as well as undermine the capabilities and integrity of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) or any other government agencies in curbing financial malpractices.

    “That, Management remits the deductions of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) from her employees to the various Agencies responsible for providing such services.

    “That, the same can also be said of Management’s full compliance of remittances of employees’ Pension contributions to their various Pension Fund Administrators.

    “That, Management wishes to debunk the allegation of raised payment voucher using dead and retired staff to embezzle funds, was pernicious, calculated attempt to frame and discredit the Principal and Chief Executive, Prof. Sunny E. Iyuke.”

  • Disregard IMF’s advice on fuel subsidy removal, NUPENG, PENGASSAN tells FG

    Workers in the oil and gas sector on Sunday advised President Muhammadu Buhari to shun any counsel that would destabilise or cause chaos in the economy.

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN) gave the advice in a statement in Lagos.

    The statement was signed by Mr Okugbawa Lumumba, PENGASSAN General Secretary and Afolabi Olawale, NUPENG’s General Secretary.

    The Managing Director, International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde had on April 12 called on the Federal Government to remove fuel subsidy because of low revenue mobilisation that existed in terms of tax to Gross Domestic Product.

    They said that the IMF advice on how to recover Nigerian economy was worrisome as it had become counter productive.

    “Any economic policy that is devoid of human feelings can lead to more social dislocations and upheavals, which will later become counterproductive as currently experienced,’’ it said.

    The unions said that IMF had created panic in the country with associated hoarding of petroleum products, panic buying, skyrocketed increases in prices of goods and services in the country.

    It said that earlier, the IMF chief praised the significant progress the nation had made in terms of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) that increased by 1.9 per cent in 2018 from 0.8 per cent in 2017.

    It said that the IMF was not considering the pains and agonies the people went through to achieve the gains of 2018, with almost two-thirds of the world’s hungriest people among Nigerians.

    The unions also cautioned that imposing more stringent reforms in domestic revenue mobilisation including increase in VAT and securing more domestic oil revenues through subsidy removal was an attempt to destabilise the nation.

    The unions in the statement appealed to President Buhari to put in mind the current hardship the people were going through in their collective journey to economic recovery.

  • Its time to appoint substantive petroleum minister, PENGASSAN tells Buhari

    Its time to appoint substantive petroleum minister, PENGASSAN tells Buhari

    The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint a substantive minister for the petroleum sector in his second term.

    Mr Francis Johnson, PENGASSAN President made the appeal while fielding questions from journalists on Friday in Lagos on the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) held on Thursday.

    According to Johnson, separating both offices will allow for a more efficient and effective management of the oil and gas sector.

    It will be recall that in the last four years, President Buhari had combined his position with that of petroleum minister, while Ibe Kachukwu, was appointed minister of state for petroleum.

    Stakeholders had argued that the combination of the office of the President and minister of petroleum, was not in the interest of the economy, as he was bogged down with enormous responsibilities to pay enough attention to a sector that was the main stay of the nation’s economy.

    He commended the incumbent administration’s efforts to the fight corruption and urged it to sustain the tempo.

    “NEC-in-Session believes that the fight against corruption should not be allowed to shrink but rather sustained to cover all sectors and maintain the gains of the present dispensation.

    “NEC-in-Session demands that government should make all efforts to see that all recovered looted funds are accounted for and re-invested in the economy to reduce unemployment,” Johnson said.

    On human capital development and labour issues, he urged the government to channel the human capital potential of citizens toward optimising productivity and economic growth of a nation that all craved for.

    He said that the union had vowed to confront all industrial issues with utmost seriousness, as the general elections were over and warned “all recalcitrant companies violating the Nigerian laws to brace up for a rude awakening”.

    On security, the union leader called for more funding in support of the recently released 1 billion dollars earmarked for fighting insurgency and the acquisition/provision of equipment for various security agencies.

  • Subsidy debt: Depot owners suspend shutdown of operations, give 5-day grace

    The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA) has suspended its planned shutdown of depots across the country from loading petroleum products effective from 12-midnight on Sunday, Dec. 9.

    The suspension directive was conveyed in a statement issued by DAPPMA Executive Secretary, Mr Olufemi Adewole, at about 1.20 a.m. on Monday in Lagos and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria.

    Adewole said: “Recalls the association had issued a shut down directive to our members following the continuing indebtedness of the Federal Government to the petroleum marketers.

    “However, following the intervention of well meaning Nigerians including the National Assembly as represented by the Senate Committee of Petroleum Downstream and constructive engagement of the Federal Government team by the labour unions most affected by the disengagement of our personnel, namely, PENGASSAN, NUPENG NARTO, PTD,and DAPPMA.

    “The union has resolved to recall its disengaged personnel for five days to give the Federal Government’s team the opportunity to conclude its process of paying marketers the full outstanding of N800 billion with the first tranche being the amount already approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

    “The association has acted in good faith to avoid unnecessary hardship which could befall Nigerians during the Yuletide season and we hope that government would make good its promise to see that those issues are resolved by Friday, Dec., 14, 2018 as promised.

    “To this end, our disengaged personnel would be recalled on Monday, Dec. 10, and considering the reactivation time or hitherto shut down system, all depots with fuel stock should be fully active same day,’’ he said.

    Adewole said that the conclusion of the debts payment would curtail the continuing wastage of public funds as interest accruing on the over N800 billion debt.

    “DAPPMA depots are, therefore, advised to commence loading operations immediately and await further notification in respect of our long overdue payment,” he said.

    On Sunday, at about 8.30 p.m., DAPPAMA had directed its members to shutdown all loading operations by midnight, adding that oil marketers had disengaged employees due to their inability to pay salaries.

    It said that the Association took a bold step to stop the financial hemorrhaging of its members by the painful disengagement of its loyal workers after over three years of engaging with the government in the efforts to secure the payment of all subsidy induced debt owed marketers.

    According to DAPPMA, to avoid owing staff without any hope of pay, it is hereby agreed that since all our staff have been disengaged, all DAPPMAN member depots are not in a position to operate hence will shut down all loading at midnight

    DAPPMA said that the decision of government claiming to settle N236 billion out of the outstanding N800 subsidy arrears was not acceptable to its members, leading to Thursday, Dec. 6, meeting which ended in a deadlock.

    The association explained that the decision of government to pay the N236 billion through promissory notes was equally rejected by the oil marketers.

    ‘‘As the name suggest, promissory note is a payment instrument that is post dated. Based on this, when you approach the banks with the instrument, you don’t get the actual value on it.

    “About 30 per cent is knocked off because government will be making the payment at a later date which ties down the bank’s capital,’’’ the association said.