By: Felix Ikpotor
The Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), has ordered its members to return to work after suspending its one-day-old strike in Rivers State.
The suspension follows several meetings with the Department of State Service, (DSS), between NUPENG and Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, the Rivers state government and the Economic and financial crime commission, EFCC.
The strike action led to increase in transport fares on Thursday.
The unions went on an indefinite strike action Wednesday over what they termed the “unlawful” arrest of two petroleum tanker drivers and their conductors by men of Rivers state special taskforce against illegal parks and markets in Port Harcourt last week, and the seizure of more than 12 petroleum trucks by the Nigerian Army.
The Army claimed the seized products were bunkered fuel.
Efforts by the Union to secure the freedom of the men and release of the trucks by the state government failed, forcing them protest the development by locking up all petrol stations in the state, Wednesday morning.
The state government, through the office of the Commissioner for Energy and Natural resources, Dr. Peter Medee in a statement said NUPENG/IPMAN unanimously agreed to sheath their swords and suspend the action while talks on the release of the drivers continued.
According to the statement: “Communique reached at the end of the meeting held on February 20, 2020, at the DSS state headquarters between the Rivers state Government, IPMAN, NUPENG, in suspending the strike action of February, 17, 2020, in Rivers state.
“Term of agreement:, parties agreed that a joint committee comprising of NUPENG, IPMAN, DPR, EFCC and Rivers state ministry of energy and natural resources, Rivers state government taskforce and relevant security agencies, to be headed by the commissioner of Energy and natural resources, be constituted.
“That this standing committee shall be the first to attend to all cases and related arrests in the oil and gas sector in the state.
“That this committee shall meet frequently to review emerging trends as they unfold.
“That a platform be created for effective communication and that the committee shall immediately commence the process of releasing the certified trucks and their products as agreed by EFCC.
“That parties condemn the activities of illegal bunkering, pipeline vandalism artisanal refining of petroleum products and oil theft, While commending the relevant security agencies for their efforts in combating these criminal activities.
“That the Unions hereby agreed to suspend the on-going strike action in Rivers state”.
The communiqué was signed by the state commissioner for Energy, Dr. Peter Medee, NUPENG Deputy president, Solomon Kulakwo, IPMAN spokesman, High Chief Ukadike, Head safety/ conflict resolution, state ministry of energy and natural resources, Mrs. Juliet Owhwonda, Zonal chairman IPMAN Eastern zone, Dumbari Dimkpa, and others.
