By Michael Eboh

ABUJA—The Nigerian economy risks another economic shut down in the next couple of days, as workers of Seawolf Oilfield Services, yesterday, promised to work with the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, to compel the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, to pay them their 22 months’ salary arrears.

A recent strike by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, branch of NUPENG and PENGASSAN following disagreements over the transfer of operatorship rights in some oil wells, almost brought the Nigerian economy to a standstill, as businesses and homes were starved of petroleum products and power supply for several days.

Speaking at the premises of AMCON in Abuja, during a peaceful protest organized by workers of the company, Mr. Christian Okojie and Mr. Godfrey Okoloba, Chairmen of NUPENG and PENGASSAN, Seawolf branch, respectively, told Vanguard that the workers were last paid in December 2013 and January 2014, adding that they are presently being owed 22 months outstanding salaries.

They stated that the workers had met with the management of AMCON in Abuja three weeks ago, where the Managing Director of AMCON, Mr. Mustapha Chike-Obi promised to address the situation within 48 hours.

They said: “Till today, he has failed to resolve the issue and the 48 hours have since elapsed. We have written them severally over the promises they made three weeks ago, yet they refused to meet with us. That is the reason we decided to stage this protest.”

The company’s three oil drilling rigs had been seized by AMCON for about a year now, depriving the company of any means of generating income to pay off its indebtedness and its workers. The rigs, when operational, are capable of generating a minimum of $150,000 per day.

In a sharp reaction the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Asset Management Company of Nigeria Mr. Chike Obi told Vanguard in a Telephone interview that the workers’ union were simply blackmailing AMCON believing that as a government agency it would accede to their blackmail. He said that Seawolf was indebted to AMCON and it seized its assets in order to recover its money. He said that AMCON has no direct relationship with the said workers.