NUPRC staff/mgmt crisis persists despite FG plea for talks

By Stanley Onyekwere

There seems to be no end in sight to the ongoing  industrial disharmony rocking the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) over alleged monumental fraud and poor working environment at the commission, as the aggrieved staff insist on continuing with their struggle through peaceful protest until their demands are met.

The NUPRC workers’ stance was futher reinforced yestetday when the Federal Government through its Ministry of Petroleum Resources met with them at one of their  protest grounds, right in front of the Commission’s office, in Jabi, Abuja.

Recall that following the expiration a 24-hour ultimatum, the angry staff of the Commission formerly  Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) had on Tuesday, started picketing and barricading, to press home their demands and concerns including immediate investigation and suspension of the embattled NUPRC Chief Executive, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe.

However, addressing the protesting staff of the commission,  Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Ambassador Gabriel Aduda, who stormed the Jabi office of the commission where the protesting staff converge daily, noted that their grievances have been heard, and pleaded with them to suspend the protest and come for negotiations.

Aduda while appreciating the entire NUPRC staff for their patience, as there is nothing wrong in showing their grievances with the system, said the Ministry is  happy to meet with the staff union at every single level, to ensure that their struggle is brought to a reasonable and amicable conclusion.

He said: “All gathered here are very responsible people, and you are doing this because you want the nation to move forward. Your are doing this because you want the NUPRC as a commission to not only perform its duty as a regulator, but to do so with the best international standard better.

“At this point trust me, nobody is here to deceive anyone, as what has happened is in the open. And what we want to do now is to appeal to the union that yes you may have tried at the level of the  parastatal, and it hasn’t work, let us come up to the level of the ministry.

“Remember, it is still out of us that the solution must come, so we don’t need to continue with the strike while work suffers, rather let us suspend it for now, and how the entire management and the union up to the national level sit with us in a meeting to be led and chaired by myself to see that we come to a conclusion on all your demands including the apologies that you are asking for. So let us raise teams, and begin negotiations immediately.”

Deputy President of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, (PENGASSAN) worldwide, Comrade Kabiru Dan Azumi,  who conveyed a solidarity message from the PENGASSAN National President said they are all in the struggle in the industry.

He said the leadership of the union has done its best, as it had met  the management of the commission both in private and official levels, where they discussed the issue as a family matter, and did not expect it to reach the level that it is now.

“You (NUPRC management) have failed us, so let us breath, as we can’t breath right now”, he stressed.

Ealier, the Branch Chairman of the NUPRC workers’ union, Comrade Okechukwu Anya, who thanked the Ministry for attempting to wade into the matter.

He however, noted that their barest minimum of consideration for engagement in a dialogue as proposed is an unreserved apologies from the embattled CEO of the Commission, who allegedly referred to them as oil thieves in his statement released to the media.

“Thant you sir for your plea, but we will talk within ourselves, and get back to you sir”, he assured.