Members of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas on Tuesday suspended the loading of petroleum products from depots of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation nationwide following unresolved dispute on pension with the national oil and gas conglomerate.
Tokunbo Korodo, the South-West Chairman of NUPENG, said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos that the suspension commenced in the early hours of September 16 and would continue until the problem was resolved.
NAN recalls that NUPENG and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria and the NNPC management had on September 15 failed to reach a compromise on pension issues.
Leaders of both unions were said to have ordered staff of NNPC out of their offices at the corporation’s’ headquarters in Abuja and threatened to shut the premises.
Korodo said that the suspension was only from NNPC depots, adding that loading of petroleum products would still continue in private depots.
He said: “No tanker will go and load petroleum products at any of their depots from today.
“We are still testing the ground now.
“If the situation remains the same, it will be a total suspension.”
Meanwhile, the management of NNPC has reassured members of the public that they have taken steps to avert a looming industrial action by the NUPENG and PENGASSAN.
The corporation in an earlier statement on September 15 and signed by Ohi Alegbe, the Group General Manager of Public Affairs, said it was working with PENCOM to resolve the issues.
It appealed to the leadership of the industrial unions to exercise restraint while discussions continue with PENCOM.
The NNPC management also urged members of the public not to engage in panic buying.
It promised that further steps were being taken to address the situation.
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