The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers has called on its members to be on the alert because of what it described as an attempt by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, to proscribe the union.
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In a statement signed by the president of the union, Williams Akporeha, NUPENG accused the minister of singling it out for persecution because of its role in the protest staged against him by the Nigeria Labour Congress over Ngige’s failure to inaugurate the board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund with Frank Kokori as its chairman.
Akporeha said Ngige issued a directive for NUPENG to produce its outstanding financial returns for 2018 within 72 hours when the law granted a 30-day grace. According to him, the law also stipulated that such report of financial returns was due for submission on June 31.
While claiming that the minister was looking for reasons to proscribe the union, NUPENG however warned that such action could plunge the nation into industrial crisis.
NUPENG president told our correspondent on the telephone that the letter from Ngige was dated May 13, 2019 but it was delivered on May 15, 2019.
The statement partly read, “NUPENG vehemently condemns the perceived threat by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, to proscribe our union despite our strict adherence to statutory mode of operations, laws of the land as well as international conventions since our formal registration as a trade union on August 15, 1978.
“It is shameful that the minister had to condescend so low by issuing a directive to NUPENG to produce its only outstanding financial returns for 2018 within 72 hours when the extant law stipulates 30 days, and even when such returns are supposed to be due by June 31, 2019.”
“We are by this press statement putting all our members in every oil and gas installations, including petroleum tanker drivers and all other members in the value chain of the industry on red alert while we watch out for any further infantile and ignoble antics from Ngige.”
The union also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to caution the minister.
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