NUPENG urges declaration of state of emergency on refineries

Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on Nigeria’s four refineries. NUPENG is an affiliate of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). Igwe Achese, president of NUPENG, who made the call while addressing journalists in Lagos, said the refineries, which are grossly under performing due to neglect and non maintenance over many years, noted that it was time to turn them around. He said, “We demand that the government declare a state of emergency on the refineries to enable Nigerian consumers benefit from the already reduced price. We are tired of empty promises made by the government in the last twelve years.”

He further stated that the government’s inability to carry out turn around maintenance (TAM) of refineries for over twelve years has caused great damage to the economy. Achese also urged the founding fathers of the NLC to take special inter- est in the forthcoming national delegates’ conference where new leaders of the congress will emerge next month. The union, however, said beyond the February delegates’ conference, the unity of labour movement was paramount to it, insisting that such unity must be based on equity, transparency, fair play and justice.