NUPENG reopens NIPCO absolves self of causing fuel scarcity

The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, on Friday said it had re-opened the Nigeria Petroleum Company, following government's intervention in its leadership crisis.

Igwe Achese, NUPENG's President, made this known at  a news conference in Abuja on Friday.

Achese said the union had directed its members in the company to resume work immediately as government had assured that all areas of contention would be addressed.

He said relevant government agencies have intervened.

He said, "We have told them that the leadership crisis must be addressed, so we are assuring Nigerians that NUPENG will continue to remain selfless."

Achese expressed hope that the matter would be settled early next week, adding that the union would not give any notice to direct its members at NIPCO to withdraw their services again.

He explained that the union was a major stakeholder in the downstream sector as 60 to 70 per cent of the downstream sector was within NUPENG.

He claimed that it did not have any hand in the lingering scarcity of petroleum products in the country as none of its chapters was on a strike.

He said, "We want to assure Nigerians that fuel scarcity is not caused by NUPENG, and as a union, we are not on any strike as assumed by the National Assembly."

Achese had said that NIPCO was shut due to corruption by leadership of the union and insensitivity to the plight of its members.

According to him, Aminu Abdukadir, IPMAN President had completed his tenure and so was running "extra term illegally".