NUPENG Jittery As CSO Threatens Protest Throughout Official Commissioning Of seven-Storey New Secretariat

Rights for Human Dignity and Justice (RHDAJ), a Civil Society Group (CSO) primarily based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has on Sunday December 1, 2024 vowed to return to Jibowu, Lagos and protest in the course of the commissioning of the newly accomplished nationwide headquarters of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Pure Gasoline Employees (NUPENG), often known as NUPENG Tower, on Wednesday, December 4, 2024.

It’s on report that RHDAJ made this comparable name in March 2024 when it protested brazenly at Trans Amadi Format in Port Harcourt in the course of the interval the group knowledgeable the Inspector General of Police to arrest and prosecute the Normal Secre­tary of NUPENG, Afolabi Ol­awale, and his surrogates over what it described as contempt of courtroom, an assault on courtroom bailiff and for conducting a unit election on the NNPC Port Harcourt refinery regardless of a restraining order from the courtroom not to take action.

In a press release despatched out to media homes on Sunday, the manager director of the rights group, a senior lawyer, Ihe­anyi Kingsley, mentioned the management of the oil and fuel Union has failed members of its numerous Branches, notably the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) by permitting disaster within the Department to fester and likewise for refusing to harmonize factions throughout the fractured Department.

He additionally famous that peaceable protest turned crucial to carry on Wednesday in order to create consciousness for the dignitaries who can be in attendance particularly vital gamers within the downstream petroleum sector and officers of each State and Federal Governments of Nigeria to be absolutely conscious of the hardship, pains, intimidation and humiliation members of the union are going through. 

Failure to permit legit nationwide executives of PTD underneath Comrade Fortunate Osesua, Comrade Dayyabu Garga, Comrade (Chief) Peter Moudebelu (ONWA), Comrade Humble Obinna Energy and others to run the affairs of PTD was additionally cited as a part of the explanations that necessitated the deliberate Wednesday protest in Jibowu, Lagos.

“Our consideration has been drawn to a recent discover served by NUPENG Normal Secretary, Afolabi Olawale in an invitation he despatched to the presidency and different vital stakeholders within the oil and fuel business in Nigeria with respect to the commissioning of the union’s newly constructed Nationwide Secretariat, often known as NUPENG TOWER in Jibowu Lagos, which can maintain on Wednesday, December 4, 2024.

“Nonetheless, as NUPENG has invited the world for the commissioning of their new Secretariat, we’re additionally notifying them that we’d even be protesting peacefully that very same day to show their shenanigans. We have now written to the Inspector-Normal of Police about this, similar with different sister companies, together with DSS and NSCDC and the workplace of the National Security Adviser. We’re legislation abiding and the legislation acknowledges what we’re doing underneath a constitutional democracy.

“It’s a big shock to us at Rights for Human Dignity and Justice (RHDAJ), that NUPENG management identified for subjecting members in its numerous Branches to servitude, and that has failed its members, notably the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) by permitting disaster within the Department to fester and refusing to harmonize factions throughout the fractured Department and creating lasting peace can be throwing a fanfare after erecting a 7-storey constructing which is solely a white elephant challenge.

“This is similar Union that remanded the Nationwide Govt members of PTD in Jail, a Union that serially disobeyed Court docket orders and that has been slammed contempt prices, a union that’s identified for humiliating, intimidating and impoverishing its members and as properly taking their jobs and  placing them into hardship and pains, that’s the similar union making an attempt to painting itself as ethical icon, and throwing celebration; it is just good to show such union in order that they will change for the perfect and supply respite to the branches underneath them.

“Failure to permit legit nationwide executives of PTD underneath Comrade Fortunate Osesua, Comrade Dayyabu Garga, Comrade (Chief) Peter Moudebelu (ONWA), Comrade Humble Obinna Energy and others to run the affairs of PTD which is a complete breach of legislation and order should additionally cease forthwith, to permit PTD flourish successfully and effectively.

“We additionally discovered it appall­ing to see that the management of NUPENG particularly the Normal Secretary, Afolabi Olawale grounded all of the vehicles of the Nationwide Chairman and that of the dep­uty Chairman and different executives of PTD, stopped all of the vehicles taking merchandise to their fuel stations, how can a person be this depraved? To the extent that you simply even have the vicious intent to cripple technique of livelihood and their sources of earnings. “

“This oppressive model of management is alien to the union and we urge the federal government and the general public to pay attention to this flagrant abuse of energy.

“A union which had time with out quantity accused administration of various oil and fuel firms within the nation of stopping their members from being unionized is similar union that’s foisting on its  members to be subservient or face forceful exit from the union.

“The psycho­logical and emotional trau­ma at the moment being skilled by the union members is completely insufferable for them, and that is sadly making them really feel much less human and utterly depressed and sad.

“We want to emphasise right here, that this lack of respect and sensitivity to Nigeria’s extant labour legal guidelines, worldwide con­ventions and international finest prac­tices is step by step changing into the inventory in commerce for NUPENG as there are nonetheless a number of different lingering infractions and points in opposition to hapless Tanker Drivers but to be addressed by the management of NUPENG, even after courts and elders of the union had severally intervened in these issues.

“We subsequently use this medium to demand that the intimidation, harassment, humiliation, bodily and emotional assaults on all members of the union should cease.”

RHDAJ additional known as for the help of the presidency, ministry of labour and employment, elders of the union, Police, NLC, NSCDC, ICPC, EFCC, Nationwide Meeting and different key stakeholders to intervene and forestall additional hurt to the union and its membership.