Attack On NLC Protesters: NUPENG Threatens Nationwide Strike Action
The national leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has hinted on the possibility of nationwide strike action, following the violent turn of peaceful protest embarked upon by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Kaduna State.
The protesters were attacked by some thugs who were believed to have been sponsored, even as the state governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, declared the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wanna, wanted for alleged economic sabotage for leading the protest in the state.
The NUPENG leadership however issued a release, tagged “NUPENG Puts Members On Red Alert Over Attack On NLC Peaceful Protests In Kaduna State”, condemning the violent attacks and the utterances of the state governor.
The union, in the release signed by Comrades Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale, its President and General Secretary, respectively, expressed sadness at the turn of event and accused Governor el-Rufai as being dictatorial and despotic.
NUPENG threatened that it would not hesitate to call on all its members throughout the country to embark on a total shut down of all their services in the upstream, mid-stream and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry, should any harm be inflicted on any of the members of organised Labour in the course of the five-day protests in the state.
“If any harm is inflicted on any of the members of organised Labour, the leadership of the Union will not hesitate to call on all our members throughout the nation for a total shut down of all our services in the upstream, mid-stream and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry.
“In the light of the above, we are therefore putting all NUPENG members nationwide on red alert and may at very short notice of five hours call for a nationwide industrial action if situation arises,” the release read in part.
It warned that nothing untoward must happen to any of the members of the organised Labour in the state and called on the Federal Government to call Governor el-Rufai to order.
“The leadership of the Union is therefore calling on the Federal Government to immediately call on Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, to order before his arrogance and power-drunk ego further push the situation into horrendous calamity as he has been doing in all issues relating to human lives and wellbeing,” the release read in part.
Consequently, NUPENG stated that no Labour leader or worker, as the case may be, be harmed, harassed, maimed, humiliated or victimised during the five-day peaceful protests in the state.
“Our Union is raising this alarm following the very reliable report of the clandestine move of Governor Nasir el-Rufai to hurt and put the lives of NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and other Labour leaders to danger in his usual blind egotistical style of running government in the state.
“Our solidarity remains constant for the Union makes us strong,” the NUPENG leadership further stated in the press release.
