Nigeria’s oil workers on Friday faulted the on-going reform in the oil and gas
industry, and vowed to take necessary steps to protect their members’ interest.
The workers, under the aegis of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural
Gas Workers and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria,
described the reform as a cover-up and vindictive actions against their
members.
They, therefore, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call the newly appointed
Group Managing Director, GMD, of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation,
NNPC, Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, to order by directing him to stop the on-going
downsizing in the Corporation.
Vowing to give equal response to whatever actions of government they consider
capable of suppressing worker’s interests, the unions suggested that a team
should be set up immediately to review the actions of the NNPC helmsman so
far in the interest of justice, equity and fairness.
Within two weeks of the commencement of the reform, Mr. Kachikwu has
carried out massive restructuring of the management of the corporation.
Apart from the sack and re-composition of the board, Mr. Kachikwu has retired
38 top management staff, reduced the top hierarchy of the corporation from 122
to 83 and the operational directorates from eight to four.
New Group Executive Directors, GEDs, have since been appointed for the new
directorates, along with Group General Managers, GGMs, for the various
divisions, a move he said was to rid the corporation of corruption and make it
more efficient and profitable.
Mr. Kachikwu also hinted that the last had not been heard of the ongoing
restructuring as more heads might still roll as the reform progresses.
However, the oil workers in a joint statement by the President of PENGASSAN,
Francis Johnson, and his counterpart in NUPENG, Igwe Achese, accused the
NNPC management of executing an agenda that did not carry them along.
The statement, which was also signed by their General Secretaries – Bayo
Olowoshile and Joseph Ogbebor respectively – also accused Mr. Kachikwu of
pursuing an agenda contrary to the idea canvassed by President Muhammadu
Buhari.
“While we are fully in support of the fight against corruption, the fight itself
should not be turned against workers whom government swore to protect”, the
oil workers said.
“The ongoing exercise portends a great danger in the oil sector if workers are
meant to bear the brunt of government’s current action where the fight against
corruption is now being used as an act of vindictiveness against workers”.
The on-going exercise, the oil workers said, did not show any attempt to fight
corruption and block leakages, but was “an act of cover up”.
“We dare the new GMD of NNPC, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu to recover the stolen trillions
of Naira in the sector than retiring and sacking of innocent workers. We are
quite sure that the on-going action is not the idea of our dear President
Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR”.
As players in all spheres of the industry’s operation, the unions said all
attempts to have audience with President Buhari to review the on-going reforms
in the NNPC met a brick wall.
Despite being the representatives of organized workers in the industry, the union
leaders claimed all their suggestions on the critical challenges affecting the on-
going reforms were being not being considered by the authorities.
They listed the issues to include the review of industry policy and fiscal
framework; cash call and counterpart funding obligations; stability of the
downstream oil and gas sector; pipeline sabotage and oil theft.
On the NNPC restructuring, the oil workers said the mass sack in the
corporation was sending very wrong signals to their members throughout the
oil and gas sector, particularly about their job security.
Reminding government of its promise to create jobs through the entire strata of
the economy, they noted that the situation in the NNPC was likely to have the
opposite effect.
“We believe people are not the problem, but the structure put in place. If there
are strong structures and institutions, the organization will be a more effective
place,” the unions stated.
“So instead of a blanket sacking of workers, which other organizations are likely
to key into, government reforms should be geared towards putting in place
effective and strong structures and institutions that will meet the numerous
challenges currently bedeviling the oil and gas sector in particular and the
nation in general”.
No comments:
Post a Comment