The leadership of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, has condemned the continued detention of 21 of its members by authorities implementing the Coronavirus lockdown in Rivers State.
This is contained in a statement on Friday signed by PENGASSAN Rivers Branch Chairman, Razaq Obe and Secretary, Kings Udoidua.
PENGASSAN said at about 3:30 pm on Thursday, April 16, 2020, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police with his team and a top Army commander intercepted a convoy with equally police personnel conveying 21 ExxonMobil personnel who were on their way to Intels, Port Harcourt, at Bori by the boundary between Akwa Ibom and Rivers States.
The statement said the Police Commissioner rebuffed all explanations and forced them to be moved to Elekaya Stadium, Port Harcourt, where they have been detained.
The senior oil staff union said the original pretext for sending the workers to the stadium was to test for Coronavirus but there was no such possibility at the location as it is a construction site and confirmed that they were rather served papers to write statements.
PENGASSAN however argues that the particular oil company, like other responsible organisations, adopted 14 days isolation of all personnel as a prerequisite for offshore travels in order to mitigate Coronavirus risk.
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It said there are facilities in Akwa Ibom State and one in Port Harcourt to achieve the isolation of staff.
PENGASSAN said it recalls that the Federal Government of Nigeria exempted oil and gas workers on essential service from Coronavirus restrictions in the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos and Ogun States.
It said the same was mirrored in various communications from the Rivers State Government which have permitted unfettered movements of other international oil companies essential service personnel and critical materials.
The Union therefore appealed to stakeholders to prevail on the Government of Rivers State to immediately release the oil workers or the country’s oil production may be affected.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
