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Rights for Human Dignity and Justice (RHDAJ), a Civil Society Group (CSO) based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has on Sunday December 1, 2024 vowed to come to Jibowu, Lagos and protest during the commissioning of the newly completed national headquarters of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), known as NUPENG Tower, on Wednesday, December 4, 2024.
It is on record that RHDAJ made this similar call in March 2024 when it protested openly at Trans Amadi Layout in Port Harcourt during the period the group informed the Inspector General of Police to arrest and prosecute the General Secretary of NUPENG, Afolabi Olawale, and his surrogates over what it described as contempt of court, an assault on court bailiff and for conducting a unit election at the NNPC Port Harcourt refinery despite a restraining order from the court not to do so.
In a statement sent out to media houses on Sunday, the executive director of the rights group, a senior lawyer, Iheanyi Kingsley, said the leadership of the oil and gas Union has failed members of its various Branches, particularly the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) by allowing crisis in the Branch to fester and also for refusing to harmonize factions within the fractured Branch.
He also noted that peaceful protest became necessary to hold on Wednesday so as to create awareness for the dignitaries who would be in attendance especially critical players in the downstream petroleum sector and officials of both State and Federal Governments of Nigeria to be fully aware of the hardship, pains, intimidation and humiliation members of the union are facing.
Failure to allow legitimate national executives of PTD under Comrade Lucky Osesua, Comrade Dayyabu Garga, Comrade (Chief) Peter Moudebelu (ONWA), Comrade Humble Obinna Power and others to run the affairs of PTD was also cited as part of the reasons that necessitated the planned Wednesday protest in Jibowu, Lagos.
“Our attention has been drawn to a fresh notice served by NUPENG General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale in an invite he sent to the presidency and other critical stakeholders in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria with respect to the commissioning of the union’s newly built National Secretariat, known as NUPENG TOWER in Jibowu Lagos, which will hold on Wednesday, December 4, 2024.
“However, as NUPENG has invited the world for the commissioning of their new Secretariat, we are also notifying them that we would also be protesting peacefully that same day to expose their shenanigans. We have written to the Inspector-General of Police about this, same with other sister agencies, including DSS and NSCDC and the office of the National Security Adviser. We are law abiding and the law recognizes what we are doing under a constitutional democracy.
“It is a huge surprise to us at Rights for Human Dignity and Justice (RHDAJ), that NUPENG leadership known for subjecting members in its various Branches to servitude, and that has failed its members, particularly the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) by allowing crisis in the Branch to fester and refusing to harmonize factions within the fractured Branch and creating lasting peace will be throwing a fanfare after erecting a 7-storey building which is purely a white elephant project.
“This is the same Union that remanded the National Executive members of PTD in Prison, a Union that serially disobeyed Court orders and that has been slammed contempt charges, a union that is known for humiliating, intimidating and impoverishing its members and as well taking their jobs and putting them into hardship and pains, that is the same union trying to portray itself as moral icon, and throwing party; it is only good to expose such union so that they can change for the best and offer respite to the branches under them.
“Failure to allow legitimate national executives of PTD under Comrade Lucky Osesua, Comrade Dayyabu Garga, Comrade (Chief) Peter Moudebelu (ONWA), Comrade Humble Obinna Power and others to run the affairs of PTD which is a total breach of law and order must also stop forthwith, to allow PTD flourish effectively and efficiently.
“We also found it appalling to see that the leadership of NUPENG especially the General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale grounded all the trucks of the National Chairman and that of the deputy Chairman and other executives of PTD, stopped all the trucks taking products to their gas stations, how can a man be this wicked? To the extent that you even have the vicious intent to cripple means of livelihood and their sources of income. “
“This oppressive style of leadership is alien to the union and we urge the government and the public to take note of this flagrant abuse of power.
“A union which had time without number accused management of different oil and gas companies in the country of stopping their members from being unionized is the same union that is foisting on its members to be subservient or face forceful exit from the union.
“The psychological and emotional trauma currently being experienced by the union members is totally unbearable for them, and this is unfortunately making them feel less human and completely depressed and unhappy.
“We wish to emphasise here, that this lack of respect and sensitivity to Nigeria’s extant labour laws, international conventions and global best practices is gradually becoming the stock in trade for NUPENG as there are still several other lingering infractions and issues against hapless Tanker Drivers yet to be addressed by the leadership of NUPENG, even after courts and elders of the union had severally intervened in these matters.
“We therefore use this medium to demand that the intimidation, harassment, humiliation, physical and emotional attacks on all members of the union must stop.”
RHDAJ further called for the aid of the presidency, ministry of labour and employment, elders of the union, Police, NLC, NSCDC, ICPC, EFCC, National Assembly and other key stakeholders to intervene and prevent further harm to the union and its membership.
