MEMBERS of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) may commence a nationwide indefinite strike tomorrow as the 21-day ultimatum given to the Federal Government to meet their demands ends today.

As at now, the government is yet to address the issues raised by NUPENG. The strike, which has been looming for some time, was based on the demand of the union that the Federal Government should do something about the terrible condition of Nigerian roads.

Another complaint is the alleged inadequate supply of petroleum products by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to the marketers which has been forcing most of them to purchase the products at exorbitant rates from independent depots.

The matter has been on for about six years and discussions have yielded nothing positive. NUPENG in May embarked on a three-day warning strike on the raised issues.

A NUPENG source said the planned nationwide strike would be on until the Federal Government agreed to their demands without any conditions attached.

According to the source, NUPENG was not comfortable with the rate at which funds meant for developmental projects were being squandered and embezzled while Nigerians lacked the necessary basic amenities.

Nigerian Tribune investigations revealed that since the fire incident at Ijegun area of Lagos in May, the supply of products had reduced and this has affected the union in no small measure.

Efforts to get some of the officials of the Petrol Tanker Drivers (PTD) to comment over the issue proved abortive as they were said to be in a crucial meeting.

The prophet according to Fela "everything is upside down, disorganised patapata" first the teachers, now oil workers, who's next?

Fuel scarcity resumes - Oil workers begin strike today


AS the 21-day ultimatum issued to the Federal Government by the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) ended by midnight on Thursday, the union has asked its members to commence a nationwide strike immediately.

Disclosing this to the Nigerian Tribune in a telephone interview was the President of the union, Comrade Peter Akpatason, after a meeting with the acting Managing Director of the NNPC, Alhaji Abubakar Yar’Adua. Akpatason explained that the strike had to go on until the Federal Government was ready to address all issues raised by the union.

The oil workers are demanding for the rehabilitation of roads nationwide, constant supply of products to NNPC depots at stipulated prices and erection of road signs at appropriate parts of the highways.

They also want the provision of parking space for trucks travelling from one part of the country to the other. Comrade Akpatason said that the Federal Government had kept quiet until the expiration of the ultimatum, adding that “there is no way we can fold our arms and be watching.”

According to him, “though the Minister of Energy (Petroleum) is currently holding a crucial meeting with the union, our members are bent on not suspending the indefinite strike until they achieve their aims for embarking on the strike, so we are appealing to the government to act fast and solve the problems at hand.”

The NUPENG President said “we have expected the Federal Government to act on our demands for too long. Despite the ultimatum, they did not deem it fit to invite us for any talk until the expiration of our ultimatum because of their style of wasting people’s valuable time, and we want this to stop.”

Meanwhile, most of the NNPC depots in the country did not load on Thursday due to the directive from their national secretariat and those that started loading in morning were ordered to stop in the afternoon.

At the NNPC, Ibadan, workers were seen milling around, while most of the trucks were parked waiting for the corporation to commence loading.

A drive through some parts of Ibadan showed that there were long queues in some filling stations, while some stations had stopped selling the product apparently because they were not sure of when the strike would be called off.

As of press time, the National Executive of NUPENG was meeting with the Minister of Energy (Petroleum) in Abuja.

Do i blame them?. . . . . .When you have a clueless gworo chewing President. . . .
Surrounded by so many bloody stalk illiterates,What do you expect?

Welcome to Nigeria!!! The NUPENG officials are asking for what is very reasonable. Repair our roads, constant supply of petroleum products and erection of road signs on our highways. How funny, the government needs to be threatened to even erect road signs for road users .

abdurrazaq:

Welcome to Nigeria!!! The NUPENG officials are asking for what is very reasonable. Repair our roads, constant supply of petroleum products and erection of road signs on our highways. How funny, the government needs to be threatened to even erect road signs for road users .

If threats work, at least good sign that we finally know how to get their attention. lol

we arent even sure if they are actually doing anywork there, thanks to the militants.oil prod is at an all time low.

No end in sight!!!!! our dear Yara-Slow has graduated to Yara-DEAD!!!!! Teachers have been on strike for over a week now and no word from the SLEEPING LORD of ASOKORO.

Yeah Nigeria is finally grinding to a halt, No water, no light, no food, now no fuel

Queue is back in Filling Stations. This is business time for 'Black Marketers'. I hope they won't blame this on the Niger-Delta crisis.