We Won’t Accord Recognition To Any Group Outside NARTO, IPMAN, NUPENG Vows  

Ahead of today’s meeting of certain petroleum marketers under the aegis of  Association of Distributors and Transporters of Petroleum Products (ADITOP), the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has cautioned other stakeholders in the oil industry not to recognise the new association.

Comrades Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale, president and general secretary, respectively of NUPENG, made the declaration in a statement issued to newsmen yesterday in Abuja.

Checks revealed that the new association had fixed Thursday for a gathering of its members in Abuja to discuss the challenges of truck owners and oil marketers in the downstream sector as part of its agenda.

However, NUPENG, in its statement, warned the general public, particularly players in the oil sector, to be wary of the new group.

The NUPENG president and his general secretary maintained that only the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), the Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN), and the Depot and the Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) are legitimate associations known to the union.

It further maintained that only NUPENG and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) are the two umbrella bodies for oil and gas workers in Nigeria known to law.

The statement reads in part: “The general public and government institutions are hereby warned and strongly advised to be very wary of these individuals who are desperately seeking ways and means to continue to exploit Nigerians and collecting rents in other manners since the current administration removed subsidy from petroleum products.”

The leadership of our great union recognises National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) as the legitimate umbrella body of Transporters in the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry and Employers of Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTD) of which our union has Collective Bargaining Agreement with on behalf of Petroleum Tankers Drivers.

“We also recognise Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) as well as Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) as legitimate marketers of Oil and Gas products.

“These are associations of Marketers that are well known and respected in the downstream sector of the Nigeria oil and gas industry.

“There is also no ambiguity in the fact that the Nigeria Labour laws only recognise

Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) as the umbrella bodies for oil and gas Workers in Nigeria. These are the two organisations that represent and protect the job interests of the Nigeria oil and gas workers, including Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) as prescribed in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The union implored all well-meaning Nigerians and government officials to urgently disregard any invitation from the new Association.”