By Victor AHIUMA-YOUNG
WORKERS in the nation’s Petroleum industry, have advised the Federal Government and others clamouring for total deregulation of the downstream sector of the nation’s oil industry, not to test the will of Nigerians including the organized labour in the sector.

Under the umbrella of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, the oil workers rejected planned pump price increase in the name of subsidy removal, warning that Nigerians would resist any attempt at further impoverishing them in the guise of subsidy removal.

Leaders of PENGASSAN reminded the Federal government that the minimum conditions agreed with labour before total deregulation could be contemplated had not been met, urging government to concentrate on meeting the minimum conditions before dissipating energy on subsidy removal.

Leaders of PENGASSAN in a communiqué at the end of a 4-day Strategic Planning Synergy workshop in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, said government’s position that the deregulation of the downstream sector would foster private investments, participation and competition for petroleum products refining, storage, marketing and distribution was not doubt if the appropriate environment was provided, arguing that such environment was lacking presently in Nigeria.

The communiqué insisted that the Federal Government’s subtle campaign for a total deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector would not to be accepted without government first meeting the minimum conditions, “The Workshop noted the Federal Government’s subtle campaign for a full deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector. It, however, reiterated a standing NUPENGASSAN, a fusion of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG and PENGASSAN, resolution that certain irreducible minimums must be put in place before a total deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector will be acceptable to PENGASSAN and the Nigerian masses.”

Some of the requirements before the total deregulation of the downstream sector by the Federal Government included; socio-economic relief measures to assuage the impact of import driven deregulation with affirmative enabling policy to stimulate local production and efficiency within a defined timeframe, affirmative arrangement for the provision of affordable mass transit buses, rail systems and water transportation, and effective maintenance and repair of roads for affordable alternative means of transportation of people and goods.”

The conditions also include, “dredging and expansion of products loading and receiving terminals /jetties and fixing of other related facilities to overcome delays and demurrage, stronger commitment to increased local refining with specific date to end importation of petroleum products.”