The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has reiterated its warning on the advice by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that Nigeria should remove oil subsidy.
Its President, Williams Akporeha, said this in a state of the nation address on Friday in Lagos.
Recalling its rejection in a joint statement on Sunday April 14, 2019 with PENGASSAN, NUPENG told the Buhari government to shun any counsel that would destabilize or cause any crisis and unnecessary tension in the economy and body politic.
“Again we salute you the press, our dependable partners for timely publication of our views on this matter and for giving us voice on your respective platforms”, he said.
“While maintaining our uncompromising standpoint on national patriotism and also pushing for good governance particularly in the sector that affects our members and their businesses we use this medium to condemn the hoax which suggested that
Federal government was planning to remove fuel subsidy.
“Our over dependence on Petroleum Products importation has unfortunately made us to be very vulnerable to antics and manipulations of local and foreign manipulators.
“As a stakeholder in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria, we are not aware of such plan.
Sadly this unhealthy speculation led to panic buying and created slight hitches in the country’s downstream sector.
“Consequently, NEC-In-Session, (National Executive Council of NUPENG) the highest organ of our Union on Friday April 26, 2019 requested for urgent revitalization of Nigeria’s ailing refineries to pave way for sufficient local supply of petroleum products across the nation.
“NEC-In-Session also pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to use the strength of his second term in office to end Nigeria’s reliance on imported petroleum products so as to meet local consumption. As a Union, we will give the president all necessary supports required from us to put an end to this shame of depending on imported products for local consumption.
“NEC-In-Session in its wisdom equally encouraged state governments from the oil rich Niger-Delta region to invest in building of oil refineries to cater for domestic, commercial and industrial use by the citizenry.
On minimum, NUPENG while commending President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly for the passage and signing, demanded that all employers of Labour (Public and Private) in the Country to ensure immediate implementation of the new minimum wage.
“We offer our hands of fellowship to all workers who might need support in the
unforeseen situation of any employer including State governments that may be thinking of cutting corners with regards to the implementation of the new minimum wage.
“We know as a matter of fact that there is no state in Nigeria that does not have the
capacity to conveniently implement this modest benchmark for workers in their
respective states. It is therefore imperative for the Government to focus on how to deepen good governance and restrain from fiscal wastages.”
