The Department of State Services, DSS on Tuesday accused the management of Total Producing Limited for causing the ongoing strike by members of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) which has caused fuel scarcity across the country.
This was disclosed yesterday by Marilyn Ogar, the Deputy Director, Public Relations of the DSS at a press briefing in Abuja.
According to her, PENGASSAN in November wrote to the DSS to make a formal complaint about the transfer of one of their elected officials, Elo Victor Ogbonda, to Lagos from Port Harcourt by Total after she was elected as zonal executive of the union.
“The transfer was seen as a design by Total to frustrate her from performing her functions at the Union’s Secretariat in Port Harcourt.
“Consequently, this service summoned the Managing Director of Total, Elizabeth Proust, on November 5, 2014, to resolve the dispute.
“It was agreed that Ogbonda would be re-instated, posted back to Port Harcourt and granted leave of absence for the period she would serve as an executive of PENGASSAN.
“However, PENGASSAN was later to inform the service that Total had reneged on its promise to recall Ogbonda and that she remained sacked.
“Consequently, this Service contacted Total and was informed that the company will not go back on its sack order.
“All entreaties to the company failed, thus culminating in the current strike and attendant scarcity,” Ogar explained.
She said the Service is not resting on its oars as it was still meeting with the management of Total with a view to addressing the contentious issues.
“The Service,” she said, “is also appealing to Nigerians of means, who have one relationship or the other with Total to “ask the company not to allow this obviously inconsequential issue to bring hardship on the generality of the Nigerian populace.
“We will not stand aloof and see Nigerians suffer. We hope they see reasons and address this issue urgently,” she added.
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