Posted by By DENNIS MERNYI, Abuja & AGAPTUS ANAELE, Lagos on
Three days into the industrial action called by the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Nigerians are already groaning under the hardship occasioned by scarcity of petroleum products.
Three days into the industrial action called by the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Nigerians are already groaning under the hardship occasioned by scarcity of petroleum products. Long queues have again surfaced at filling stations while commuters are left stranded at bus stops with the few commercial vehicles plying the roads hiking their fares.
Black marketers have commenced brisk business with petrol now sold at N110 per liter in Abuja.
Some filling stations were shut as their owners claimed they could not lift product from the refineries due to the deplorable condition of the nation's roads, including the access to the refineries.
In Lagos, the situation is the same as long queues are seen at filling stations that have product. Several other stations in the metropolis were shut due to lack of product according to reports from our correspondents.
But the national president of the union, Comrade Peter Akpatason, has said the strike would continue until its demands were met by the government.
Speaking to Sunday Sun in a telephone interview yesterday, Akpatason explained: 'We could not resolve the issues when we met with the management of the National Petroleum Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Thursday in Abuja as they refused to shift ground, and so the strike has to continue."
The issues, according to him, were how and when the Lagos-Benin and other major federal roads as well as the access roads to the refineries will be fixed by the government.
The meeting was held at the instance of the NNPC Group Managing Director, Engr. Lawal Abubakar Yar'Adua, who was represented byu the Group Executive Director Corporate Services, Ibrahim Waziri.
The NUPENG leader, however, regretted government's non-commitment to offer solution to the problems, saying, 'we were to meet with the Petroleum Minister, Odein Ajumogobia, but he did not turn up as he was reported to have traveled out of town."
Some marketers and petroleum tanker drivers told Sunday Sun that they will continue to mobilize their members to ensure they sustain the action.