Port Harcourt Refinery: Educational Don Calls Out NUPENG Over Failure To Ask NNPCL Important Questions, Says Union Leaders Are Sycophants

An American-based professor of Humanity and Comparative Literature on the College of Maryland, Josephine T. Abuba­kar, on Thursday November 28, 2024 took a swipe on the Basic Secretary and the President of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Pure Gasoline Staff (NUPENG) for singing praises of the administration of Nigerian Nationwide Petroleum Firm Restricted (NNPCL) over the rehabilitation of Port Harcourt Refinery.

Prof. Josephine who can be a rights activist decried the postures of the union leaders by accusing them of being subservient to NNPCL as an alternative of taking part in their roles as commerce Unionists. He mentioned the Basic Secretary Afolabi Olawale and the President, Williams Akporeha ought to have interrogated  NNPCL on the allegations of changing the Port Harcourt refinery right into a mixing plant and in addition that it was planning to promote imported, substandard petrol to Nigerians as regionally refined gasoline.

NUPENG had on Tuesday expressed pleasure over the resumption of refining of petroleum merchandise by Port Harcourt Refinery, saying “we’re reminded of the important function this progress performs in addressing Nigeria’s vitality challenges, assuaging hardship for staff and residents, and fostering financial stability.” The oil and gasoline union additionally prolonged its congratulatory message to the Group CEO, Mr. Mele Kyari and the complete administration of NNPCL on the “monumental achievement of efficiently re-streaming the Port Harcourt Refinery after a number of years.”

Prof. Josephine in her assertion made accessible to newsmen on Thursday mentioned the NNPCL’s announcement of the refinery’s graduation of operations was a ruse designed to deceive Nigerians and trade gamers. 

She claimed that the company had been shifting deadlines for the completion of the refinery’s repairs, leaving Nigerians to endure from petrol shortages and excessive costs.

She additional alleged that NNPCL’s plan to promote blended merchandise could have a damaging impression on engine efficiency and lifespan particularly automobile house owners and people who are into transportation enterprise whereas additionally noting that Petroleum Tanker Drivers PTD) beneath NUPENG would be the best victims of blended diesel which has the potential of damaging the engines of their Petroleum vans.

The assertion mentioned: “It’s a massive disgrace that NUPENG can’t be a part of different effectively which means Nigerians to interrogate NNPCL on the allegations of blended petroleum merchandise which can finally have a damaging impression on engine efficiency and lifespan, particularly automobile house owners and people who are into transportation enterprise. NUPENG has actually portrayed itself as beggars earlier than NNPCL having failed Nigerians and Union members who’re paying checkoff dues. Additionally it is appropriate that the Petroleum Tanker Drivers beneath NUPENG shall be largely affected by NNPCL blended diesel and this must be of nice concern.

”The final time I checked, NUPENG is the one organizing PTD, due to this fact the safety and the curiosity of PTD must be its major goal as an alternative of being subservient to NNPCL, eating and successful with its management in inns and fascinating in overseas journeys whereas additionally receiving estacode allowances in {dollars}. The management of NUPENG as presently constituted has outrightly given itself out as sycophants with no integrity. The re-streaming of Port Harcourt Refinery is sweet for the nation, however as a accountable union, you could do your due diligence earlier than dashing to press to sing praises as in case you are NNPCL propaganda equipment. It will by no means occur beneath Frank Kokori of blessed reminiscence, when he was the Basic Secretary of that Union. Males of nice honour are not in NUPENG at this time, that is ridiculous and unhappy.

”This is similar NUPENG who took the executives of PTD, a Department beneath it, to Court docket on trump up  fees. We learn how NUPENG humiliated the Nationwide Chairman of PTD, Comrade Fortunate Osesua and his executives, Comrade Dayyabu Yusuf Garga, Comrade (Chief) Peter Moudebelu (Onwa), Comrade Humble Obinna Energy and others. Fortunately the judiciary and the Police usually are not biased on the matter. I’m assured they are going to get justice and be allowed to serve the curiosity of their members in PTD who voted for them to run the affairs of the Department on the Nationwide degree.

“It was gathered from good and dependable authority that NNPCL has now made a nasty state of affairs worse by stage-managing a resumption of manufacturing because it has now been established that NNPCL will not be trucking out Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), higher often called petrol, from its Port Harcourt Refinery. As a substitute, some movies of NNPCL branded vans that had been used to announce that the refinery has resumed operations and began trucking out PMS had been mere film productions to mislead Nigerians.

“NLC wants to return in and put NUPENG to examine. The NUPENG leaders are nothing however a shame, this isn’t commerce unionism however gangs of capitalists who’re desperately on the lookout for cash and energy with greed and covetousness. Anyone can insult me. I dont care. I’ll proceed to be on the facet of reality. Insults imply nothing to me. They solely gasoline my resolve and strengthen my willpower. They’re like water off a duck’s again and neither can they deter me from talking my thoughts on any urgent or burning difficulty within the curiosity of PTD regardless of how unpopular my place could also be to them. My prayer is that Nigeria will succeed,” Prof Josephine acknowledged