LABOUR New Petroleum policy: NUPENG threatens strike over NAPIMS’ new role

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has threatened to embark on an industrial action if the federal government goes ahead to implement the new petroleum policy.

The Union said the policy has whittled down the regulatory powers of the Nigerian Petroleum Investment Management Services Limited (NAPIMS) as approved by the Federal Executive Council.

In a statement signed by its General Secretary, Comrade Joseph Ogbebor, the union noted that it would resist the move to strip NAPIMS of its responsibility of regulatory costing of projects and use of an independent consultant.

“We kick against it because of the past failures of government restructuring and privatisation processes of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCH) and others,” the union said.

NUPENG stated that it is a way of robbing Peter to pay Paul by pushing the costing of projects to an independent regulator, which would emerge from the restructuring of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

The union said the move was self-serving, selfish, unjustifiable, not workable, uncalled for and meant to serve the interest of the promoter and will do the oil and gas industry no good.

The union, therefore, called for its stoppage or it may be forced to embark on an industrial action to reverse the trend.

It said NAPIMS, established to manage the Federal Government’s investments and interests in the upstream sector of the oil industry, had done well in its regulatory functions, with all the 10 divisions working; and it should therefore not be used as a blackmail to score cheap political points.

The union, therefore, called on the Federal Government to forget about the plan and not gazette it as it is meant to satisfy certain selfish interests and not for the sector to move forward.

“NUPENG will not fold its hands and see any form of restructuring in NAPIMS that will lead to job losses, as it must be resisted,” it stated. Igwe-Achese, NUPENG President