The Nigeria Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has called on the federal government to save Nigerians from the ongoing pains and hardship.
Members of the Central Working Committee, CWC, of the union made this call during its meeting on Wednesday.
The union lamented power supply was still generator-driven, stressing that the privatization of the power sector had failed.
In a communiqué at the end of the meeting, the President and the General Secretary, Igwe Achese and Joseph Ogbebor, respectively, explained that members of the CWC after studying the state of the economy admitted that a lot still needed to be done to address the current recession and reduce the hunger in the land.
According to the communiqué, “The CWC-in-Session wants the Federal Government to address the challenges of poverty, unemployment and hunger in the land. It adds that the Federal Government should vigorously address the issue of rising costs of goods and services. The CWC-in-Session calls on the Federal Government to look inward and put structures and strategies to restructure the economy. The session wants the National Assembly to quickly put finishing touches to the budget so that it can be passed and assented to by the President, so that the liquidity squeeze can be addressed and debts owed contractors paid after verification.
“The CWC-in-Session deliberated on the poor power supply in the country which is adding to the cost of doing business. It laments that the economy is still generator-driven and states that the privatization of the power sector has failed. Collective resolve of workers It adds that the Federal Government should put pressure on the Generation companies, GENCO’s and the Distribution companies, DISCOs to be alive to their responsibilities or have their licenses revoked.
“The CWC-in-Session affirmed the membership of NUPENG in the newly formed labour centre, the United Labour Congress (ULC). The session agreed to pursue the ideals and programmes of the ULC. It also congratulated the Union’s President Comrade Igwe Achese as the ULC Deputy President. The CWC-in-Session receives with consternation the unscrupulous clandestine moves of some individuals and desperate politicians to paint the collective resolve of workers to come together and freely associate in a bad light to the effect of making attempt to deny the registration of United Labour Congress as a centre for registered Trade Unions in Nigeria.
“The CWC-in-Session emphasized the fact,that it is only ULC that has made genuine and concrete efforts to be duly registered as a labour centre in Nigeria as required by the law. It will therefore be a misnomer and blatant aberration if the wicked wishes of the ignoble cabals are allowed to prevail.
“The CWC-in-Session resolved to do all within its powers for the full realization of the desire and aspiration of the teeming members of the United Labour Congress to get it registered and recognized as a Labour Centre representing major segments of workers in Nigeria. We shall surely overcome.”
Meanwhile, NUPEND had suspended its nationwide strike which began on Sunday following the intervention of the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru.
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