Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The National Treasurer of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, Alex Agwanwor, has disclosed that the intervention of the River State Government was what averted the recent strike threat by the union.
The strike threat, our correspondent gathered, was as a result of leadership tussle in the Petroleum Tanker Drivers, PTD, branch of NUPENG at the Port Harcourt Refining Company.
Speaking to our correspondent on the telephone, Agwanwor said Eleme community rose up against the union and even locked up NUPENG offices in the refinery, over the outcome of PTD election which did not favour a candidate, who is an indigene of Eleme.
Vehicular queues were already forming at fuel stations in Port Harcourt while some other stations in the city were under locked and key as a result of the strike threat.
According to Agwanwor, however, it took the intervention of the Rivers State Government and the national executives council of NUPENG to resolve the issues.
Agwanwor, who is also the Port Harcourt Zonal Chairman of NUPENG and Rivers State Chairman of United Labour Congress, said normalcy has now returned to the union as everything has been resolved.
He disclosed that all filling stations were promptly directed to commence sale of petroleum products while all tanker drivers were directed to commence loading of products.
“We have called off the strike. What happened is that there was election in Port Harcourt Refinery, but Eleme community locked up our offices because their candidate did not emerged the winner.
“But now everything has been resolved and normalcy has returned,” he said.
