By Oluwatomisin Amokeoja

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has threatened to summon its members throughout the nation for total shutdown of all its services in the upstream, mid-stream and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry.

The development follows reports of attacks on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) protesting mass sack of workers in Kaduna State.

Communicating its stand through a statement on Monday evening, the Union, affiliated to NLC and IndustriALL Global Union, lamented the violent turn of the “peaceful protests by the dictatorial and despotic regime of Governor Nasir El-Rufai in Kaduna State.”

In the statement co-signed by its National President, Comrade Williams Akporeha and Comr Afolabi Olawale, the General Secreatry, the Federal Government was urged to immediately call El-Rufai to order, explaining “his arrogance and power drunk ego” could further push the situation into “horrendous calamity as he has been doing in all issues relating to human lives and wellbeing.”

The union reiterated no labour leader or worker must be “harmed, harassed, maimed, humiliated or victimized during this 5-day peaceful protests in the State.”

It claimed the reception of a “very reliable report of the clandestine move of Governor Nasir El-Rufai to hurt and put the lives of NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and other Labour Leaders to danger in his usual blind egotistical style of running government in the State.”

The statement in part reads : “NUPENG therefore warns that if any harm is inflicted on any of the members of organized Labour, the Leadership of the Union will not hesitate to call on all our members throughout the nation for a total shut down of all our services in the upstream, mid-stream and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry.

“In the light of the above, we are therefore putting all NUPENG members nationwide on red alert and may at very short notice of five hours call for a nationwide industrial action if situation arises.

“Our solidarity remains constant!!! for the Union makes us strong!!!”