NUPENG charges FEC on economic development

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THE Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has urged the Federal Executive Council (FEC) consisting of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Ministers recently sworn in to quickly hit the ground running in order to put the nation’s economy back on track.

The union believes that a lot of time has been wasted to constitute the cabinet ”which is supposed to implement the programmes of the government”.

NUPENG in a statement implored FEC to meet regularly to proffer solutions to the needs of the teeming Nigerians they promised to end their sufferings.

According to the union, expectations are high and “they should therefore put up concrete policies to hit the ground running by arresting the incessant fuel shortages presently experienced all over the country”.

National President of NUPENG, Igwe Achese was quoted as saying that since President Buhari is personally in charge of the Petroleum Ministry, “he and his team must put up short and long term measures to end the sufferings of the masses to get petroleum products without wasting man – hours at the filling stations”.

The union also urged the Federal Government to quickly address the nagging issue of casualization and outsourcing of workers to labour contractors, “which is modern-day slavery”.

The union explained that as the over-seer of the Petroleum Ministry, the “President must address the issues of non-payment of cash-calls on Joint Ventures and also represent the Petroleum Industry Bill after a stakeholders meeting to iron out the grey areas”.

NUPENG emphasized that the new Federal Executive Council must address the divestment in the Oil and Gas industry and tackle head long the Turn-Around-Maintenance of the nation’s four refineries in Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Warri.
NUPENG said it will not hesitate to resist any further retrenchment and down-sizing in the oil and gas sector and therefore call for the right enabling environment that will create a level-playing field for investors to operate.

The Union wants the problems of power and bad roads to be addressed with diversification “to put the economy back on the right footing, as Nigerians resilience and patience should not be taken for granted, as they are tired of lamentations but need action”.

Source: TheGuardian