NUPENG Strike Leads to Fuel Scarcityin Abuja

1 July, Abuja - A three day waringn strikeembarked upon by the
National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) led to
long fuel queues in most filling station in Abuja.
The queue at the popular NNPC Mega Station in the Central Area caused
a partial blockage of the adjoining road and a horrendous traffic jam.
The situation was also not different at the Conoil Filling Station,
Central Area, opposite the NNPC Towers as long queues of vehicles were
seen around the station.
Some motorists at the filling station had expressed dismay at the
development, with a call on the relevant government agencies to
immediately step in to address the situation.
Mr Pius Adejoh, a civil servant at the filling station described the
situation as a set-back to the transformation agenda in the oil and
gas sector. "I think it's really very sad that we are back to those
days when we have to queue at filling stations to get fuel. "The
Federal Government needs to step in and meet with the oil unions with
a view to finding a lasting solution to this perennial problem."
The NUPENG President, Mr Achese Igwe, told NAN that the union had to
call for the strike "due to unfair treatment of our workers by some
oil companies which include Shell Petroleum development Company
(SPDC), Chevron Nigeria Ltd., and Agip Oil Company." He accused the
oil companies of unfair treatment of Nigerian workers through
casualisation and outsourcing of workers, among other matters. Igwe
said that the leadership of the union had directed its members at
various depots to stop loading of petroleum products to press home its
demand.
He warned that the union would embark on an indefinite strike after
the three-day warning strike if government and the relevant
authorities failed to address its grievances.