Onyebuchi Ezigbo and Imam Imam in Gusau
6 July 2009
Abuja — Two main industrial unions in the country petroleum sector, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Asociation of Nigeria and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers have given a conditional approval for the introduction of full deregulation in the downstream sector.
The plan to deregulate the downstream energy sector has been subject of lingering dispute between members of the organised labour and federal government with each side holding tight to its position.
Organised labour led by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) is currently prosecuting a nationwide mass protest against the policy which it said will greatly impoverish the Nigerian people.
However, the oil workers' union in a communique issued at the end their joint National Executive Council meeting in Abuja at the weekend resolved to support any measure that would bring about competition among stakeholders in the country's downstream petroleum sector.
"The joint NEC-in-session agreed that lack of competition in the downstream sector has stalled growth and jeopardised job opportunities".
"The joint NEC-in-session, therefore, reasoned that any policy that guarantees competition and deliveries of petroleum products to consumers will be encouraged on the grounds that the enabling environment and criteria are guaranteed.", said the unions.
In the communique signed by President of PENGASSAN, Mr. Babatunde Ogun, his NUPENG counterpart, Mr. Peter Akpatason, Acting Secretary General, PENGASSA, Mr. Lumumba Okugbwa and Secretary General of NUPENG, Mr. Elijah Okougbo, the unions further resolved that considering that a resulotion of the electoral menace in the country will ensure the production of true and credible leaders, therefore we support the full implementation of Justice Uwais Report on electoral reforms based on the principle of one man one vote.
Meanwhile,Independent Petroleum Marketers in the country have thrown their full support behind the on-going efforts to reform the petroleum sector in order to checkmate fraud and end wastage.
National President of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Alhaji Aminu Abdulkadir, who said this at the weekend in Gusau, added that the reform process was coming at the right time , considering the huge loss incurred by the country from activities of some players in the sector in the past.
He said as the backbone of Nigeria's economy, government must do all it can to ensure prudent management of resources from the sector since it impacts on the lives of all Nigerians.
He said all independent marketers are in full support of the bill since it will ensure availability of refined petroleum products to all members who will in turn deliver it to all the nooks and crannies of the country.
Represented by Alhaji Danladi Fasali, the national president said IPMAN was fully committed to ensuring best practices in the petroleum sector, and appealed to Nigerians and other stakeholders to support the reform bill which passed through second reading at the Senate last week.
On the recurring cases of fuel scarcity experienced occasionally all over the country, the IPMAN boss said Nigerians should not blame their members, adding that in most cases "the rotten system" in the petroleum sector leads to such shortages.
While appealing to the Federal Government to ensure strict compliance with policy guidelines, he urged the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to tackle corruption in the sector, saying IPMAN and other stakeholders will support all moves that will bring sanity to the important sector.
The IPMAN President's representative was in Gusau to oversee the election of new executives of the association for the Gusau zone. Those elected are Sule Magaji Sokoto as chairman, Bala Lawal as vice chairman and Ibrahim Mikailu as secretary.
Others are Aliyu Longman as assistant secretary while Alhaji Muhammadu Jega will serve as treasurer.
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