By Victor Ahiumayoung &  Chris Ochayi

LAGOS — THE Department of State Services, DSS, yesterday accused the multi-national oil firm, Total Plc, of culpability in the industrial crisis in the oil sector that led to the current nationwide strike by oil workers.

Already, the strike has disrupted fuel supply in parts of the country as there were long queues of vehicles in petrol stations in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Lagos, Enugu, Bayelsa, among other states in the South-South and South-East.

At a briefing on the development, Marilyn Ogar, a Deputy Director, Public Relations, DSS, blamed the industrial action on the management of Total Plc, which reneged on its earlier promise to reinstate and post a union leader, Elo Victor Ogbonda, back to Port Harcourt after she was posted to Lagos State.

Ogar urged Nigerians who had good relationship with Total Plc to appeal to the firm to have a change of heart and stop subjecting Nigerians to further suffering, warning: “We will not stand aloof and see Nigerians suffer.”

According to the DSS, “on the ongoing strike by NUPENG and PENGASSAN which is biting hard on all Nigerians, we want to state that in November 2014, PENGASSAN had written to the serivce to make a formal complaint about the transfer of Elo Victor Ogbonda to Lagos from Port Harcourt by Total, after she was elected as a zonal executive of the union.

“The transfer was seen as a design by Total to frustrate her from performing her functions as the union executive in Port Harcourt.

“Consequently, this service summoned the Managing Director of Total, Elizabeth Proust, on November 5, 2014, to resolve the dispute. It was agreed that Ogbonda would be re-instated, posted back to Port Harcourt and granted leave of absence for the period she would serve as an executive of PENGASSAN.

“However, PENGASSAN was later to inform this service that Total had reneged on its promise to recall Ogbonda and that she remains sacked.

“Consequently, the service contacted Total and was informed that the company will not go back on its order. All entreaties to the company failed, thus culminating in the current strike and the attendant scarcity.”

“We sympathise with all Nigerians for the hardship they are facing and want to appeal to the public that efforts are on to resolve the crisis. As we speak, the Service is currently meeting with the management of Total with a view to addressing the contending issue. We are urging all well meaning Nigerians who have good relationship with Total to ask the company not to allow this obviously inconsequential issue to bring hardship on the generality of the Nigerian populace. We will not stand aloof and see Nigerians suffer. We hope they see reason and address this issue very urgently”, the service warned.