Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, have suspended its four days old strike in Rivers State.
The suspension was announced in a communique issued after a long meeting between the national executives of NUPENG, IPMAN, DSS and the Rivers State Government, represented by the Commissioner of Energy and Natural Resources, Dr Peter Medee.
The communique was signed by the State Commissioner for Energy and Natural Resources, Peter Medee; IPMAN Chairman, Eastern Zone, Dumbari Dimkpa; Deputy President of NUPENG, Solomon Kilanko, and several others.
The communique disclosed that at a joint committee comprising of EFCC, DPR, NUPENG, IPMAN, Rivers State Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Rivers State government taskforce and has been set up.
The joint committee, according to the communique, will be the first to attend to all cases and related arrest in the oil and gas sector in Rivers State, and will be headed by the Commissioner for Energy and Natural Resources.
“This standing committee shall be the first to attend to all cases and related arrest in the oil and gas sector in Rivers State. This committee shall meet frequently to review emerging trends as they unfold.
“That a platform shall be created for effective communication. The committee shall immediately commence the process of releasing the certified trucks and their products as agreed by the EFCC.
Fuel scarcity hits P/Harcourt as NUPENG shuts down operations
“The parties condemn the activities of illegal bunkering, pipeline vandalism, artisanal refining of petroleum products and oil theft, while commending the relevant security agencies for their efforts in combating these criminal activities.
“The union hereby agree to suspend the ongoing strike action in Rivers State.”