some other parts of the country yesterday as
news of a three-day warning strike embarked
upon by members of the Petroleum and
Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of
Nigeria, PENGASSAN, and the Nigerian Union
of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers,
NUPENG, made the rounds.
In Abuja, motorists had resorted to panic
buying, following the announcement of the
strike as virtually all the filling stations
visited yesterday were dispensing fuel but
were crowded by motorists.
Entafun reports that the queues
started building up at about 5.15am and
before noon virtually all filling stations had
been jam packed by motorists scrambling to
refill their tanks. Our correspondent reports
that the queues, which kept growing by the
minute, caused heavy traffic gridlock around
the adjourning roads to the filling stations.
At the Olusegun Obasanjo Way which has
three filling stations including NNPC Mega
Station, Oando, and Forte Oil, the queues
extended to about two kilometres.
Furthermore, from Wuse to Maitama, Asokoro
to Area 1, and Jabi areas, the story was the
same causing traffic jam as better parts of
the roads were taken over by queuing
motorists.
Also black market sales thrived as fuel
hustlers were seen clustered at every
strategic junction with gallons of the
commodity chasing motorists. Those who
could not bear the queues bought 10 litres for
as much as N2,000, while motorists who
waited in queues spent long hours in their
cars hoping to refill.
"I have been on this queue for more than two
hours. This is madness. What shall we call
this one again. Is it that fuel is scarce or what
is happening?" queried Hajia Amiretu Salami.
Most of the motorists decried the three-day
warning strike noting that the oil workers
action would affect Nigerians now that the
Christmas was at the corner.
A civil servant, Mr. Aboki Danladi, said that
the strike was ill-timed and would impact
negatively on the masses. "The strike is very
unfortunate. Why are the unions on strike at
this critical time when Nigerians are trying to
celebrate Christmas? "This is not good for the
masses, the whole trouble will be on the
masses as usual," Danladi said.
Mr Alex Felix, an engineer with a telecom
company, said now that Nigerians were
preparing to travel for the yuletide, it was not
the proper time to strike.
"I am sure, unless otherwise, many people
will not be able to travel for the Christmas
and New Year festivities due to scarcity of
petroleum product should it continued.
"It is not even the matter of travelling but you
know petrol touches virtually all aspect of
Nigerians' lives," Felix said. Felix urged the
government to as a matter of urgency carry
out the Turn- Around-Maintenance, TAM, of
the refineries and all other issues related
therein.
Hajia Salmat Bello, a business woman, called
on both the government and the two
associations to work out modalities that
would resolve the issues.
In Jos, Plateau State, residents have started
feeling the impact of the strike as a litre of
petrol was being sold for between N110 and
N115. Most of the filling stations within the
Jos metropolis increased their pump price,
while those selling at the official price of N97
had long queues.
In Lagos, most filling stations did not see any
unusual activity as motorists drove in and out
without much hassle although operational
hitches from loading depots had triggered a
slight supply disruption last week.
But there are fears that the nation's
commercial capital may start experiencing
scarcity from today as there were no fresh
product supply in most of the filling stations.
The striking workers had threatened to shut
down all sector activities in a statement on
Sunday but the Nigeria National Petroleum
Corporation, NNPC, said discussions were
ongoing to address issues raised and the
action will not affect supply and distribution
of petroleum products.
The NNPC, in a statement issued yesterday
by Group General Manager, Group Public
Affairs Division, Mr. Ohi Alegbe, advised fuel
consumers to avoid panic buying or
stockpiling of petroleum products as that
could lead to needless queues or cause fire
accidents with resultant loss of lives and
property.
NNPC said it was in talks with the leadership
of the unions who gave the assurance that
they would not disrupt the fuel supply and
distribution system as the strike was
basically aimed at addressing the anti-labour
issues by some of the International Oil
Companies, IOCs.
The corporation and its subsidiary, the
Pipelines and Products Marketing Company,
PPMC, also assured that it has over 32 days
stock of petroleum products available for
supply across the nation during the Yuletide
season and beyond.
It also said 17 additional petroleum laden
vessels were at the Lagos Port waiting to
discharge fuel for transportation to the
various depots. It further assured that
everything was being done to ensure that
there was no hitch whatsoever in the supply
system that could bring any form of hardship
to motorists and those who intend to travel
during the period.
The statement also warned fuel marketers
against hoarding or diversion of petroleum
products as any marketer caught in the act
would be sanctioned.
Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Labour and
Productivity has scheduled a meeting with
NUPENG and PENGASSAN in Abuja today to
resolve the ongoing strike. This is contained
in a statement by the Media Officer of
PENGASSAN, Babatunde Oke, in Abuja
yesterday.
"The Federal Government has invited the two
unions for a meeting in Abuja where the
affected stakeholders will be in attendance
tomorrow (Tuesday) by 11a.m. "The meeting
is at the instance of the Federal Ministry of
Labour and Productivity and the Federal
Ministry of Petroleum Resources," the
statement said. It said there was total
compliance to the strike in some of the oil
installations in the country.
The statement said there was no loading in
Lagos as most of the depots were shut and all
offices were closed; where some staffers were
seen, there was no work. "At Ejigbo Depot,
some tankers that loaded earlier in the day
were restricted but later allowed to move out
of the depot because of the danger attached.
"At Apapa depots owned by Mobil and Oando,
there was total compliance. "But there was
skeletal work by NUPENG members at Total
Depot; it was later stopped in the course of
the day," it said.
It said in Warri and Port Harcourt refineries,
there were total compliance in all oil and gas
locations, including the upstream and
midstream as the loading bays were shut.
According to the statement, in Kaduna and
Abuja, there was total compliance on the part
of PENGASSAN members. It said the gate of
Kaduna Refinery was shut and no entrance
was allowed into the premises and there was
no loading also.
"Earlier in the morning, the NNPC towers
were opened for business and workers were
at their desks but they were later called to
stop work at about 11.45 a.m," the statement
added. According to the statement, members
of PENGASSAN are fully mobilised for the
strike, while few members of NUPENG are
working at some of the agencies.
The two main oil workers' unions said the
strike would affect all levels of oil and gas
operations from production to distribution.
The unions frequently threaten strikes but do
not follow through. A strike in September
caused little disruption to the sector.
Natural gas supplies through the West Africa
Gas Pipeline, WAPCO, from Nigeria to Ghana
were briefly halted but not long enough to
hurt the economy.
The workers are protesting the government's
inability to effectively maintain the country's
refineries and reduce prices at the pump in
line the 45 per cent slump in global oil prices.
They are also aiming to push the government
to evolve new ways of combating pipeline
vandalism and oil theft.
Posted By David Aniemeka
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