NUPENG threatens nationwide strike over attack on Labour leaders

By ADEOLA YUSUF

Oil workers in the country on Tuesday threatened the total disruption of the entire oil and gas value chain nationwide over the alleged threat on the lives of the Labour leaders including President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba by the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai. El-Rufai, whose state is under industrial action by the labour unions, has earlier declared Wabba wanted threatening to try him and other labour leaders for economic sabotage. Enraged by this threat, oil workers under the aegis of NUPENG warned in a late night statement on Tuesday that:

“If any harm is inflicted on any of the members of the organised labour, the leadership of the union will not hesitate to call on all our members throughout the nation for a shut down of all our services in the upstream, midstream and downstream sector of the oil and gas industry.”

The statement signed by the National President and Secretary of the NUPENG, Williams Akporeha, and Afolabi Olawale, respectively, queried the statement credited to El- Rufai that a “handsome payment” will be made to whomever gives them credible information on the President’s whereabouts. Wabba was specifically declared wanted in connection with the five-day warnin strike in the state. The NLC has previously stated that the strike would continue unless the state government addressed the workers’ concerns.

The recent sacking of 7,000 local government employees, as well as the state administration’s unwillingness to satisfy the claims of nearly 50, 000 workers who were disengaged from service from 2017 to date, are among the issues. El-Rufai, who had previously branded the five-day warning strike as a campaign against the state’s economy and social sabotage, has pledged to reward anyone who can help locate Wabba. (New Telegraph)