The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN has suspended its planned strike which was to take effect midnight of Sunday, April 19. This follows the release of 21 oil workers by the Rivers State Government who were arrested for violating Coronavirus lockdown in the State.
In a statement signed by PENGASSAN President Ndukaku Ohaeri and General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, the oil workers say having achieved the primary demand in its earlier ultimatum, it hereby suspends the planned industrial action.
The statement called on the Federal Government of Nigeria, relevant agencies and all Oil and Gas Industry stakeholders to guarantee unfettered movement of oil and gas workers on essential services in all territories of the federation if PENGASSAN and other oil workers are to continue to provide these services.
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PENGASSAN has also called on the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC to immediately adjust its Coronavirus testing protocol to include all offshore-going workers, to prevent possible incidence of Covid-19 on oil installations with its grave consequences and eliminate need for 14-day self-isolation before travelling offshore with its attendant huge cost implications on organisations and psychological effect on workers.
The workers appreciated the Federal Government and other relevant authorities for their intervention and thanked all patriotic Nigerians who supported their cause as well as salute its detained members for their show of maturity in the face of obvious and unwarranted provocation, especially the “MOBIL 21”
On Thursday, April 16, PENGASSAN raised alarm over the what it described as illegal arrest and detention of 21 (19 male and 2 female) ExxonMobil personnel by the Rivers State Police Command on the pretext that they violated the State’s Movement Restriction Order put in place to curtail the spread of Coronavirus; the allegation which runs contrary to the letters of the said Order which expressly exempted oil and gas workers on essential services.
The Rivers State Government had earlier on Sunday released the 21 staff of Exxon Mobil who were arrested for violating the State Executive Order restricting movement in the state.
State Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Professor Zaccheus Adangor said the Mobil staff were released without charges and that the State Government will no longer press charges against them.
Professor Adango who monitored the release of the 21 Exxon Mobil staff at the State Isolation Centre at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium Port Harcourt, says they were released following interventions by well-meaning Nigerians.
The 21 Exxon Mobil staff were arrested on the April 16 after they had entered Rivers State from neighboring Akwa Ibom State in violation of the Executive Order which stipulates that health authorities must ascertain the Coronavirus status of those entering the State.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
