BY VICTOR AHIUMA YOUNG

NIGERIA Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers, NUPENG, yesterday, debunked media report that it had suspended its planned strike to protest the Federal Government moves to privatize the four public refineries in the first quarter of this year, saying it was mobilizing for the strike.

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NUPENG in a statement by its President, Igwe Achese, said there was no way it could suspend the planned strike when government had not suspended the plan to privatize the refineries.

The union insisted that the report that NUPENG suspended the strike was a pure fabrication as even Mr Elijah Okougbo quoted in the said report retired from the union over two years ago.

Vanguard gathered that the planned strike may begin January 8, a day after a meeting called by the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, with Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, and NUPENG on January 7.

However, NUPENG said, “The union states that the report is erroneous and full of distortions. Nupeng reiterates that the proposed strike over government plans to sell the nations four refineries has not been suspended.
NUPENG members in NNPC and its subsidiaries are in prayer sessions daily, calling for God’s intervention.

The union is aware of a meeting being scheduled by the Minister of Labour, Chief Emeka Wogu but insists that the Petroleum Minister, Mrs Deziani Alison-Madueke must be in attendance or else the exercise will be a mere ritual in futility.”

“The union calls on its members to disregard the information going round that the strike has been called off and intensify on the prayer session, which is a prelude to the nation-wide strike coming up this week.”

The union also frowns at the reference in the report to Comrade Elijah Okougbo as Secretary General(not General Secretary) after retiring from the union over a year ago when Comrade Isaac Aberare has been at the saddle for a year now, and we take serious exception to this distortion of facts, as the General Secretary was never interviewed.

The union’s position is that the decision to privatize the four refineries is hasty and will be resisted by NUPENG and we have mobilized our men across the country to that effect.”