…Eno Intervenes

…Fuel unions need sanction, not appeasement – Frm Gov’s Aide

By Egufe Yafugborhi & Chioma Onuegbu

NIGERIAN Labour Congress (NLC) have threatened to go on workers strike in Akwa Ibom state if the joint ban on sale of fuel by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) and National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) is not called off on or before midnight of Wednesday.

The action of the unions over a faceoff with the security Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Delta Safe (ODS) has seen Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) shoot to N2000 per liter in panic sales across the state.

NLC Akwa Ibom in a letter requesting the Governor’s intervention in the strike notice lamented the increased hardship the situation has thrown already distressed workers and entire Akwa Ibom populace, urging the governor to probe into the crises and check excesses of parties invoved.

Sunny James, Chairman, Akwa Ibom NLC, in the letter to the governor stated that following the petroleum union’s directive to members to withdraw service on Monday, the State Administrative Council (SAC) of NLC, at an Emergency Session today (Wednesday) resolved to take some decisive actions.

Among its resolutions, the NLC called on Governor Eno to, “Intervene by setting up a team to investigate claims from parties in dispute that necessitated the confiscation of the PMS loaded trucks and subsequent withdrawal of services.

“SAC-in-Session frown at the short notice given to the already impoverished workers and citizens to re-adjust selves on the impact the withdrawal of services will cause them.

“The meeting called on His Excellency to immediately inaugurate the Petroleum

Monitoring Taskforce to check this excesses going forward as was promised in His Excellency’s 37th State Anniversary Speech.

“SAC-in-Session note the negative but untold hardship our workers and

citizens are going through in attending to their work/businesses and hereby direct all workers to withdraw services and stay at home, effective midnight

September 25, 2024 until this impasse is resolved and the strike actions of IPMAN are called off to enable citizens breath.

“Organised Labour are calling on parties to sheath their sword and not make Akwa lbom experimental grounds for negative actions.”

Gov Intervenes

Meanwhile following Governor’s intervene Wednesday, IPMAN, PTD and NUPENG in Akwa Ibom state have promised to lift their joint withdrawal of supply of petroleum products.

Akwa Ibom leaders of the unions including Sir Michael Udofia and Joseph Otu of IPMAN, Francis Udoyen and Joseph Okafor of (PTD) as well as Godwin Okono and Raphael Chukwuwu of NUPENG, made the promise Wednesday to Governor.

Ini Ememobon, Akwa Ibom state Commissioner for Inform in the highlights of the unions meeting with Eno, noted that, “The Governor met with leaders of the unions to address issues that led to the recent ban on the sale of petroleum products in the state.

“During the meeting, the Governor was informed that two petroleum trucks were confiscated in Mbo Local Government Area by federal agencies (JTF Operation Delta Safe) and have been detained since May 2024.

“Acknowledging that the matter falls outside his jurisdiction, the Governor has directed the Commissioner for Internal Security and Waterways to liaise with relevant authorities to ascertain facts of the case. Additionally, he expressed commitment to exploring establishment of a petroleum depot in Akwa Ibom.

“In response, the union leaders thanked the Governor for his proactive engagement and pledged to lift the ban immediately, ensuring that petroleum products will be made available to the public.”

Fuel Unions Overreaching Selves, Need Sanctions

However, the State Chairman, Natural Oil and Gas Association of Nigeria (NOGASA), Sam Osung, former Aide to Governor Eno, blamed the state government for failing to wield the big stick against perceived excesses of NUPENG and IPMAN.

Osung accused the fuel unions of overreaching selves in the state, arguing that if they felt offended by the JTF’s impounding of their fuel trucks, the lawful thing to do was to go to court to prove their case and not hold fuel consumers to ransome.

He narrated that, “Men of the ODS under the 2 Brigade, Nigeria Army, arrested two trucks of PMS and 44 drums of PMS from six filling stations at Ibaka, Mbo Local Government Area over four months ago. The filling stations were accused of involvement in petroleum products smuggling.”

“Officials of IPMAN addressed a press conference demanding the immediate release of the trucks. Subsequently they shutdown their filling stations and embarked on a protest in Oron LGA.

“The ODS decided that if the owners consider selves innocent they should go to Court. We know that smuggling is an act of economic sabotage and an innocent marketer should have gone to Court to prove his innocence.

“The marketers are trying to bully the Army to release their trucks without proving their innocence. They have hired the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTDs), to stop products from entering Akwa Ibom since last Monday.

“The Army were informed and they want to rescue the impounded trucks and escorted the trucks to the owners while requesting the documents authorising them to stop tankers from entering any state.”

He added, “The government is aware of the excesses and no one is addressing this. Government should say something. The government should act as government.

“They did it before with allegation that I was their problem because I know what they know, I know who they know, and even know their rights based on their constitution. They ganged up and the governor fired me.

“That didn’t solve the problem. I wish the government was able to address the matter based on the right and privileges of everyone who was involved. Government was more interested in making me the scapegoat.

“The issue of the excesses of NUPENG wasn’t addressed, and today, they have illegally stopped tankers from entering Akwa Ibom for about a week and IPMAN has resumed panic sales with hike in price.”