PENGASSAN set to commence strike today
Thu Jul 07, 2016 09:18:am National
1.8K By Buchi Obichie
Barring any changes, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, is set to commence its strike action today, Thursday.
The strike was called by the leadership of the association, in view of alleged insensitivity of the Federal Government to resolve some issues affecting the oil and gas sector.
In a bid to resolve the situation however, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, and the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, are expected to meet with the aggrieved leaderships of PENGASSAN and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, this morning .
According to PENGASSAN's Public Relations Officer, Emma Ojugbana, who spoke on Wednesday in Abuja, the planned strike would be a total shutdown. He also stated that he was not aware of any scheduled meeting with Government.
In his words: "The strike will hold today. I am not aware of any meeting organised by anybody with our association. Our leaders in various zones are mobilizing and it will start midnight today."
He said PENGASSAN had been engaging with the Federal Government over Joint Venture Funding and the non-passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, which was pending at the National Assembly, among other issues; noting that there was no positive result from the side of the Government.
According to him, PENGASSAN had been scheduled to meet with Dr. Kachikwu on June 30; but the meeting was canceled after the oil and gas sector leaders got to Abuja, only to discover that the Minister had traveled for an official assignment.
Ojugbana said the strike, which would paralyse socio-economic activities nationwide, would involve the upstream and downstream sectors as well as the loading and export sector.
"It is going to be a total shut down," he said.
Meanwhile, a statement from the Deputy Director, Press, in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Samuel Olowookere, yesterday, stated that Senator Ngige and Dr. Kachikwu would meet with the labour leaders in the oil and gas sector today.
The two paragraph statement read: "The Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige and the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, will tomorrow (today) hold a crucial meeting with Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, and Nigeria Union of Petroleum & Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, to find a lasting solution to the lingering problems in the oil and gas sector.
"The meeting is scheduled to hold at the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Minister's Board Room, 11th Floor, NNPC Towers, Abuja at 10a.m. prompt."
The strike was called by the leadership of the association, in view of alleged insensitivity of the Federal Government to resolve some issues affecting the oil and gas sector.
In a bid to resolve the situation however, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, and the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, are expected to meet with the aggrieved leaderships of PENGASSAN and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, this morning .
According to PENGASSAN's Public Relations Officer, Emma Ojugbana, who spoke on Wednesday in Abuja, the planned strike would be a total shutdown. He also stated that he was not aware of any scheduled meeting with Government.
In his words: "The strike will hold today. I am not aware of any meeting organised by anybody with our association. Our leaders in various zones are mobilizing and it will start midnight today."
He said PENGASSAN had been engaging with the Federal Government over Joint Venture Funding and the non-passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, which was pending at the National Assembly, among other issues; noting that there was no positive result from the side of the Government.
According to him, PENGASSAN had been scheduled to meet with Dr. Kachikwu on June 30; but the meeting was canceled after the oil and gas sector leaders got to Abuja, only to discover that the Minister had traveled for an official assignment.
Ojugbana said the strike, which would paralyse socio-economic activities nationwide, would involve the upstream and downstream sectors as well as the loading and export sector.
"It is going to be a total shut down," he said.
Meanwhile, a statement from the Deputy Director, Press, in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Samuel Olowookere, yesterday, stated that Senator Ngige and Dr. Kachikwu would meet with the labour leaders in the oil and gas sector today.
The two paragraph statement read: "The Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige and the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, will tomorrow (today) hold a crucial meeting with Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, and Nigeria Union of Petroleum & Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, to find a lasting solution to the lingering problems in the oil and gas sector.
"The meeting is scheduled to hold at the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Minister's Board Room, 11th Floor, NNPC Towers, Abuja at 10a.m. prompt."
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