The intervention of the national Assembly through its committee on Downstream and officers of the various unions in the oil and gas industry, which are said to have had constructive engagement with the federal government officials, made the oil marketers to suspend the strike.
The Unions involved include Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) National Association of Roads and Transport Organisation (NARTO), and the Petroleum Transport Drivers ( PTD)
BusinessDay learnt that it was impressed on the government by these pressure groups that allowing the strike to take place would not be too good both for the economy and the government especially when it has not resolved the issue of minimum wage.
It was after these group of people had talks with government and got assurance that she would act positively that the mediators decide to reach out to the marketers and asked them to give the government the benefit of doubt by suspending their action for a while.
Consequent upon this, the marketers had to reconsider their position and gave the government another five days of grace to see what would happen.
According to Olufemi Adewole, executive secretary, Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA) the association had to revise it earlier decision at about 1.30 am on Monday morning to mitigate the possible impact it would have on Nigerian. “We had already given a directive that the depots across the country should shut down from loading petroleum products effective from 12-midnight today (Monday).
He however stated that If the government fails to act appropriately they would resume the action without given any notice.
“The unions has resolved to recall its disengaged personnel for 5-days to give the FG’s team the opportunity to conclude its process of paying marketers the full outstanding of N800 billion with the first trench being the amount already approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC)
He said the association has acted in good faith to avoid unnecessary hardship which could befall Nigerians during the yuletide season and we hope that government would make good its promise to see that those issues are resolved by Friday, Dec., 14, 2018 as promised.
“To this, end, our disengaged personnel would be recalled on Monday, Dec. 10 and considering the reactivation time or hitherto shut down system, all depots with fuel stock should be fully active same day,’’ the statement said.
The statement said further that the conclusion of the debts payment would curtail the continuing wastage of public funds as interest accruing on the over N800 billion debt.
He therefore advised DAPPMA depots to commence loading operations immediately and await further notification in respect of our long overdue payment.
It would be recalled that on Dec. 9 at about 8.30pm, DAPPAMA had directed its members to shut down all loading operations by midnight, adding that oil marketers had disengaged employees due to their inability to pay salaries.
It said that the Association took a bold step to stop the financial hemorrhaging of its members by the painful disengagement of its loyal workers after over three years of engaging with the government in the efforts to secure the payment of all subsidy induced debt owed marketers.
According to DAPPMA, to avoid owing staff without any hope of pay, it is hereby agreed that since all our staff have been disengaged, all DAPPMAN member depot are not in a position to operate hence will shut down all loading at midnight
It said that the claims by the government to have settle N236 billion out of the outstanding N800 subsidy arrears was not acceptable to DAPPMA members, leading to last week’s Thursday meeting which ended in a deadlock.
The decision of government to pay the N236 billion through promissory notes was equally rejected by the oil marketers.
‘‘As the name suggest, promissory note is a payment instrument that is post dated. Based on this when you approach the banks with the instrument, you don’t get the actual value on it.
“About 30 percent is knocked off because Government will be making the payment at a later date which ties down the bank’s capital,’’ he said.
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