NIger Delta Avengers After Oil Workers - PENGASSAN

Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has said that oil workers are jittery over Niger Delta Avengers’ threat.

The association advised federal government to take seriously the threat by Avengers that oil workers should vacate oil fields and terminals.

Francis Olabode Johnson, its president stated this at the third Women in PENGASSAN National Conference in Abuja.

He said: “We are having a meeting with the minister of labour and employment. In view of the issue on ground, this is something we should take as priority. That kind of threat is not something that should be taken lightly.

“So, I think we are going to put our feet down. Whatever the issue, let government look for a way to fast track everything and discuss so that there can be peace in this country.”

“This is not time for us to start destroying ourselves and our properties and oil installations. We all need to work together as a country so that Nigeria can rise from the ashes of what we are going through.”

Olabode was also speaking about the recent talks between the government, NUPENG and PENGASSAN: “We have been having series of meetings with the government team. But we also want to implore government that a situation that we have agencies and oil companies behaving as if they are more powerful than the government is not acceptable to the union. Everybody in the union is all Nigerians.

“You cannot have an agreement with the minister, standing in for the President of the Federal Republic, and when it’s time to take action, you say no. We only suspended our strike, if these issues are not addressed properly, we may have to resume the strike.

“Though, we don’t like taking that route. That is why we are imploring every agency of government that whatever agreement reached must be respected. We will abide by our side of the agreement but if they are not ready to honour theirs, we will have no choice than to resume.”

President Muhammadu Buhari has announced on July 21, Thursday, that his government is talking to militants in the Niger Delta to end a wave of attacks on oil and gas pipelines which have reduce oil production by 700,000 barrels a day.

However, the Avengers, a militant group that has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks, said it was not aware of any negotiations, saying there would be no dialogue without involving the international community.

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