14th October, 2015
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
The little respite being enjoyed by consumers of petroleum products in Rivers State since the Department of Petroleum Resources enforced sanity in the distribution of petroleum products in Rivers State and environs will soon be truncated as National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, and its affiliate union, PENGASSEN have directed all their members to stop loading of petroleum products from Wednesday.
NUPENG and PENGASSAN Port Harcourt zone gave the directive following the alleged assault on their members by officers of the Rivers State Police Command.
Bassey Harry, Industrial Relations officer of NUPENG told journalists in Port Harcourt that the management of Weather Ford Nigeria Limited allegedly connived with some officers of the Rivers State Police Command to victimise NUPENG members.
“The National Secretariat has given us full support, that come October 14, all members of NUPENG, Petroleum station workers, kerosene dealers are hereby directed to shutdown all activities in Rivers state until the policemen are brought to book,” he said.
Godwin Eruba, the South South Zonal Coordinator of NUPENG, explained that some NUPENG members were illegally laid off at Weather Ford Limited in Port Harcourt.
Eruba criticised the police for the part played in the alleged victimization of its members.
Eruba explained: “We have an issue with WeatherFord. The company sacked our members without due consideration.
“We felt we needed to picket them which is very lawful. In the process of picketing them, they purported that they had gone to court to get an injunction.
“What we (NUPENG) were doing is to call the company to talk to them, discuss issues and put the matter to rest.
“But on the 12th of October, in the early hours of 3am, the Rivers state Police Command sent over 300 police vans with personnel armed to the teeth. They got to the point where our members were picketing and destroyed the canopies. They manhandled and shot at our members and used tear gas.
“As we speak, four of our members are lying in the hospital. The officer that gave that order is Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP F.M. Adesanya.”
He vowed that no product would be lifted at the loading depot until the industrial crisis between it members and Weatherford company is resolved.