Fuel Scarcity: Oil workers suspend strike ….....as oil marketers begins fuel lifting immediately

By Oluwagbenga Bankole

The Petroleum and National Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) on Monday resolved to end their five days old strike and immediate commence distribution of fuel across the country after a public hearing organised by the Joint Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources(Upstream and Downstream).

Chairman Senate committee on downstream, Senator Magnus Abe who read a communiqué signed by the stakeholders after the session also disclosed that Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) had agreed to begin lifting of petroleum products nationwide within the next six hours and to also pay the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) the transport cost that would be determined by them.

Senator Abe who explained that the Finance Minister/Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and other stakeholders, who attended the meeting, unanimously agreed to the peace deal, in the interest of the nation, noted that Depot Managers had agreed to open all their depots nationwide so that lifting would commence and had agreed with the DPR to withdraw the operational licence of any depot which was not opened for fuel lifting.

Abe said the NNPC had directed all relevant staff, working in the various depots across the country, to work 24 hours, including Saturday and Sunday, for the next two weeks until normalcy returns to the sector.

He said, “We have agreed on the following:  first is that the Minister of Finance will give an undertaking to the Major Marketers and Depot Managers that the work of the committee being headed by CBN and PPPR, on the outstanding claims, would be concluded and be reflected in the hand over notes to the incoming administration.”