Victor Ahiuma-Young
26 November 2011, Sweetcrude, Abuja – The national secretariat of Petroleum and Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has directed striking members in the Petroleum Equalisation Fund (Management Board) to suspend their ongoing strike which has caused scarcity of fuel in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and neighbouring states for over a week.
PENGASSAN however gave the management of Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) a seven-day ultimatum to address the grievance of the aggrieved workers.
The workers are protesting perceived six months unjust suspension without pay of the branch Chairman, Comrade Mohammed Gambo.
The strike had prevented marketers from lifting products as there were no PEF officials to process their bridging claims.
National leaders of the association said the temporary suspension of the strike was taken due to intervention by respected stakeholders and to mitigate the suffering Nigerians had been going through due to the industrial action.
A statement by the association said, “The Association wishes to put all stakeholders and indeed all Nigerians on notice that its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting will hold on Wednesday, November 30th, 2011 by which time PEF is expected to have reversed its 6-months suspension without pay of the branch chairman, or otherwise the NEC will be invited to declare an indefinite national strike.”
