The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), yesterday, dismissed the threat on Sunday by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) to shut fuel stations nationwide today as empty.
NUPENG’s General Secretary, Olawale Afolabi, in a chat with The Guardian, said no one was shutting down any filling station. He assured the public of continued sale of petroleum products nationwide.
“No one is shutting down any filling station. It is an empty threat. The public is assured of continued regular sale of petroleum products across the country please,” Afolabi stated.
This is just as the Head of Media, PENGASSAN, Jerry Amah, said Nigerians should not be afraid of IPMAN’s ultimatum, promising that all the oil majors would be in operation.
He, however, said there might be a bit of pressure due to long queues from dispensing facilities. Director-General of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Dr. Timothy Olawale, called on the Federal Government to urgently address the issue to prevent IPMAN from carrying out its threat of shutting down the stations.
The NECA boss observed that if the union carried out its threat, it would be very devastating for businesses in particular and the country’s struggling economy in general.
He said shutting down of fuel stations would lead to hike in the price of every essential commodity, transportation, water and food, which would ultimately lead to less patronage and strangulation.
According to him, the economy would face a sudden surge of inflation, adding that industries and factories that depend on petroleum products and goods are also to experience difficulty vis-a-vis production cost.
“It is quite unfortunate that at a time when all hands should be on deck to revive our troubled economy, we are faced with an impending action by the IPMAN to shut down filling stations across the country. This portends a negative implication for the economy and the standard of living of many Nigerians who are already in abject poverty,” he said.
A labour expert, Jaye Gaskia, advised government to spare the nation another “unnecessary burden and hardship,” stating that policing should not be disruptive to the economy and the general well-being of the people.
He added that the onus was on the police to address issues on ground without prejudice, “failing, which the Federal Government will need to step in to prevent a crisis that can impact negatively on the economy.”
SOURCE: TheGuardianNG