Arrest incessant fuel shortages, NUPENG tells FEC

President Muhammadu Buhari

Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has urged the Federal Executive Council, FEC, headed by President Muhammadu Buhari, to immediately hit the ground running by arresting the worsening fuel scarcity across the country.

NUPENG in a statement, yesterday, by its President, Igwe Achese, contended that since President Buhari was in charge of the Petroleum Ministry, he and his team must put up short and long term measures to end the sufferings of the masses and get products available to Nigerians without wasting man– hours at the filling stations.

The union claimed a lot of time had been wasted to constitute the federal cabinet to implement the programmes of the government and called on FEC to proffer solutions to the needs of the teeming Nigerians as promised during electioneering campaigns.

According to the union, “the expectations are high and FEC should put up concrete policies to hit the ground running by arresting the incessant fuel shortages being experienced at present all over the country. Since Mr. President is personally in charge of the Petroleum Ministry, he and his team must put up short and long term measures to end the sufferings of the masses to get petroleum products without wasting man- hours at the filling stations.

“Mr. President must address the issues of non-payment of cash-calls on joint ventures and also represent the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, after a stakeholders’ meeting to iron out the grey areas.

“The new FEC must address the divestment in the oil and gas industry and tackle head-on the turn around maintenance of the nation’s four refineries in Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Warri. The union will resist any further retrenchment and down-sizing in the oil and gas sector and therefore call for the right enabling environment that will create a level-playing field for investors to operate.”

NUPENG called on the “federal government to quickly address the nagging issue of actualization and outsourcing of workers to labour contractors, which is modern-day slavery. The union wants the problems of power and bad roads to be addressed with diversification to put the economy back on the right footing, as Nigerians resilience and patience should not be taken for granted. Nigerians are tired of lamentations but need action.”