The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) on Wednesday said at least 3,000 oil workers have lost their jobs as a result of the pressing economic situation in the country.
Addressing the media at the end of a crucial meeting in Effurun, Delta state, Igwe Achese, national president of NUPENG, urged the federal government to ask oil companies to halt the ongoing mass retrenchment.
Issuing a 21-day ultimatum, Achese said if the government failed to act, many others would lose their jobs.
“The federal government should act fast to avert further loss of jobs. There is too much redundancy in the oil industry, which needs urgent action from government,” he said.
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“It is painful to say as I address you, Chevron has wound up in the east and their offices closed. A total of 1,500 workers were sacked without their entitlements and nobody is saying anything. As we speak, many companies have left and many others are winding up to go.
“Many oil companies are winding up, including ExxonMobil, Pan Ocean, Sapiem Ground Petroleum, and Hercules Offshore Nigeria Limited. About 3,000 workers have already been sacked by the various oil companies.
“We are now asking ourselves where are we heading with the industry. We have lost so much of Nigerian personnel working in the oil and gas industry. What is happening in Nigeria cannot be compared to what is happening in other African countries. We want government to wake up and address some of these issues.”
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The sector started experiencing challenges when the prices of oil crashed globally.
The situation became complex in Nigeria as a result of the activities of Niger Delta militants.
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