The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers has
called on its members to be on the alert because of what it
described as an attempt by the Minister of Labour and Employment,
Dr Chris Ngige, to proscribe the union.
In a statement signed by the president of the union, Williams
Akporeha, NUPENG accused the minister of singling it out for
persecution because of its role in the protest staged against him
by the Nigeria Labour Congress over Ngige’s failure to inaugurate
the board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund with Frank
Kokori as its chairman.
Akporeha said Ngige issued a directive for NUPENG to produce its
outstanding financial returns for 2018 within 72 hours when the law
granted a 30-day grace. According to him, the law also stipulated
that such report of financial returns was due for submission on
June 31.
While claiming that the minister was looking for reasons to
proscribe the union, NUPENG however warned that such action could
plunge the nation into industrial crisis.
NUPENG president told our correspondent on the telephone that
the letter from Ngige was dated May 13, 2019 but it was delivered
on May 15, 2019.
The statement partly read, “NUPENG vehemently condemns the
perceived threat by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris
Ngige, to proscribe our union despite our strict adherence to
statutory mode of operations, laws of the land as well as
international conventions since our formal registration as a trade
union on August 15, 1978.
“It is shameful that the minister had to condescend so low by
issuing a directive to NUPENG to produce its only outstanding
financial returns for 2018 within 72 hours when the extant law
stipulates 30 days, and even when such returns are supposed to be
due by June 31, 2019.”
“We are by this press statement putting all our members in every
oil and gas installations, including petroleum tanker drivers and
all other members in the value chain of the industry on red alert
while we watch out for any further infantile and ignoble antics
from Ngige.”
The union also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to caution
the minister.
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