NUPENG congratulates Tinubu as Nigeria’s new president

…tasks him on refineries, others

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has congratulated Nigeria’s new President, Bola Tinubu and Vice-President, Kashim Shettima on their inauguration and swearing-in ceremony as the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, tasking the new leaders to hit the ground running.

The union charged the new leaders to fix the nation’s refineries amongst other challenges.

The union in the congratulatory message signed by its President and General Secretary, Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawole, urged Tinubu to make the nation’s public refineries functional and to address other daunting challenges in the Oil and Gas industry including fuel subsidy, insecurity and oil theft and strict adherence to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) among others. 

NUPENG equally charged the new President to be righteous in the discharge of his responsibility and remain unrelenting in his efforts towards the delivery of good governance to the people of this country.

The statement read, “Without any doubt a major socio-economic policy on the front burner of national discourse and expectation is the recurrent debate for the removal of subsidy from the Petroleum Motor Spirit. 

“As a responsible and responsive Trade Union in the industry, we are very desirous of policy change on the issue of subsidy, but we are deeply concerned of the failure of the successive administration to do the needful as severally advised and canvassed for by organized labor in order to avoid unintended consequences on the people and the body polity.”

The NUPENG leaders said that the union was delighted that the recently commissioned Dangote Refinery is addressing the concern of dependence on fuel importation, but advised that the new administration should not rush into taking any decision on the policy change until the products hit the market.

The union however noted, “In same vein the in-coming administration should make all three public refineries (Warri, Port Harcourt and Kaduna) functional and should not because of the anticipatory products availability from Dangote refinery allow the funds injected into the rehabilitation of these refineries waste.” 

It stated that concrete efforts should be geared towards making them functional and operate in full capacities to generate returns on the investments.

“It has always been our firm believe that deregulation that is based on local production will not only increase the revenue earnings of the country, but it will also generate employment and make life more meaningful to ordinary Nigerians,” the statement expressed.

It further suggested that the new administration should have robust engagement and discussion with all key stakeholders especially the organized Labor on ways and means to mitigate these consequences on employment, inflation and living conditions of the working people.

PIA

The Union also appealed to Tinubu to ensure judicious implementation of the PIA and to address the issue of oil theft ravaging the industry. 

According to NUPENG, “The president needs no further introduction to the tumultuous journey that led to eventual signing of the Petroleum Industry Bill into an Act of the Parliament by out-going President Buhari with the objectives of having a petroleum industry that will be accountable, rewarding and transparent in financials, governance and responsiveness to the needs and yearnings of Communities and stakeholders.”

It opined that these objectives could only be achieved with strict adherence in implementation to the spirit and letters of the Act. 

The union pleaded with the president and his team to give a new narrative to wrong notions that Nigeria governments are no respecter of their laws, adding that the Petroleum Industry Act, no matter any perceived shortcomings inherent be implemented until any further amendments are made.

“We earnestly implore the government of Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu to save Nigeria and Nigerians from the shame and global ridicule of open thefts and sales of the nation’s crude oil in the international markets while the country is reeling in helplessness, hardship and poverty,” it added.Unemployment

This is even as NUPENG condemned the parlous state of employment and working conditions of Nigerians in Oil and Gas noting the increasing degeneration, indecency and precariousness of working conditions in the Industry, which can also be attributed to the causes of the increasing frustrations, crime, violence and restiveness among the youths.

The union leadership therefore called on President Tinubu and his administration to proffer sustainable solutions to the aforementioned challenges. 

It stated, “Without any iota of doubt, everyone is aware of the crucial and critical importance of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry in the overall GDP and the total foreign exchange earning of the country, which explain the pivotal roles and place of the workers of the industry in the annals of our dear country.

“It is in furtherance of these roles that we wish to reiterate the fact that Nigerians are aggrieved and deeply frustrated with present state of things in the country and urgently place before the administration of Bola Tinubu some critical issues for his immediate attention and consideration for the good of the industry and the nation at large.

“We equally celebrate with Nigerians on this 24 unprecedented and unbroken years of democratic rule in the country. We salute the belief, courage, and steadfastness of all our fellow patriotic Nigerians for the journey, struggles so far with our firm belief that we shall overcome and have a Country and citizens we all desire, and crave for one day.”