The two major oil workers’ unions on Wednesday shut down the operations of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) nationwide.
The unions are, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Petroleum Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
NAN reports that workers at the NNPC headquarters in Abuja were also stopped from entering their offices, but all attempts to get the union leaders to speak proved abortive as they all declined to speak to the media.
One of the NNPC staff, who spoke to NAN on condition of anonymity, said the unions shut the offices claiming that they were not consulted about the process of unbundling the corporation. “We heard that our leaders are in a meeting and they will brief us by 4 p.m,’’ she said.
NAN reports that there was police presence and most of the workers were seen sitting outside the Towers awaiting directives from the union leaders.
NUPENG and PENGASSAN in separate statements on Tuesday said the move to unbundle the corporation was an attempt to provoke the oil and gas workers and cause industrial unrest in the country.
“We condemn the unilateral action of the Minister of State, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, as the decision is not in consonance with the laws establishing NNPC.
“The unbundling and rebranding of NNPC as announced by the Minister of State is another public policy change which is not consistent with the Act and Laws establishing NNPC and will be resisted by oil and gas workers in the country.
“NUPENG will not tolerate a situation whereby the unbundled companies will now hide under the cover to start disengaging its workers,’’ it said.
NAN also reports that Kachikwu on Tuesday announced that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the unbundling of the corporation into five Business units: Upstream, Downstream, Refineries, Gas & Power, Ventures.
The companies and their new cheif executive officers were: Alhaji Bello Rabiu, formerly Group General Manager, Corporate Planing $ Strategy (CP&S) is CEO, Upstream; Mr. Henry Ikem-Obih was brought in as CEO, Downstream; Anibor Kragha, formerly GGM Treasury is CEO, Refineries; Alhaji Saidu Mohammed, formerly MD of Kaduna Refinery is CEO, Gas & Power; Mr. Babtunde Adenira, formerly GED C&I is now CEO, Ventures; Isiaka Abdulrazak is CEO Finance and Services; while Isa Inuwa formerly DMD, NLNG is now Executive Head of Corporate Services.
According to him, the Upstream Company will now comprise NPDC and IDSL, while the Downstream Company consists of Retail, NPMC and NPSC.
The Refinery Company, would consist of WRPC, KRPC and PHRC, while the Gas and Power is now made up of NGPTC, NGMC and Gas and Power Investment.
Kachikwu said the Federal Government has approved the appointment of Chief Executives for the companies in person of Bello Rabiu as Chief Executive Officer of the Upstream Company.
Others are: Henry Ikem Obih for Downstream; Anibor Kragha for Refineries and Saidu Mohammed for Gas and Power.
Mr Ohi Alegbe, Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of NNPC, confirmed that the protesting workers also denied him entry into his office.
He said that when the management of the corporation met, it would comment on the development.
-NAN