The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers has threatened a strike action if the N621 billion NNPC infrastructure fund does not align with its members’ demands for better roads.
The NUPENG disclosed this in a statement titled, “Issues of safety of petroleum tanker drivers on wheels and unscrupulous moves to divert and misappropriate 621 billion naira earmarked for the repairs and reconstruction of identified 21 critical roads”, signed by its President, Comrade William Akporeha.
They also called for a competent monitoring and validation team to access the progress made on the road rehabilitation scheme.
What NUPENG is saying about the infrastructure fund
NUPENG says it is seriously concerned over comments attributed to the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NRTO), last week over the deterioration of health and safety provisions for its drivers on the wheels, due to the rising number of road and fire accidents.
It says it refuses to sit idle and watch able-bodied members “continued to be wasted away as sacrificial items as well and the wanton destruction of millions of public lives and properties”
It added that working conditions for its drivers have remained the same for over six years as transporters “have been foot-dragging in committing to a revised collective bargaining agreement for the conditions for Petroleum Tanker drivers due to high costs of operations and low freight rates.
It reminded stakeholders that in 2020, the Union issued a firm ultimatum on the deplorable state of the federal highways, which the NNPC, including other government agencies, signed a communique indicating the readiness and willingness of NNPC to finance the rehabilitation of 21 critical roads at an estimated N621 billion through a Road Infrastructure tax Credit scheme
“Unfortunately our worst fears concerning the struggle is gradually unfolding with information coming out from reliable sources that some elements in the garbs of being state government, officials of Ministry and Work and desperate politicians are already dipping their soiled hands into these funds and diverting them to roads already budgeted and done since last year,” NUPENG stated.
This resulted in the suspension of its intended industrial action by the Union, however, it warned that should the recommendation not be implemented, or an attempt is made to divert the fund, ” the union will not give further warning to resume the intended actions”.
“Officials of Ministry and Works are going around showing pictures of roads done in June and August 2021 to justify payment made from the N621 billion which was approved in October 2021,” it said.
NUPENG said the N621 billion fund was approved because of its demand and it owes its members the responsibility to ensure that every kobo is accounted for.
It also called for an immediate review of freight rates to reflect the operational realities of the petroleum distribution value chain, warning that its National Executive Council has commenced immediate mobilisation to all its member for resumption of earlier suspended action.
“We hereby plead with the general public to bear with us as our action may resume without further notice and that these issues raised are of and should be of national concern” it added.
What you should know
- Nairametrics reported last year that the Federal Government and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Ltd signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of N621 billion to fund the construction of critical road infrastructure across the country, to actualise Executive Order 007 which ensures compliance to road infrastructure development in the country
- Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola said that a governance structure had been put in place to ensure that no contractor would ask for an increase in price and that FIRS has 5 days to certify all contractor certificates and NNPC had 30 days to pay up.
- He said this had given more confidence to contractors of the assurance to get paid and urged them to mobilise their staff, equipment, supplies back to the site.
