Protesting members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of nigeria (PENGASSAN) on Thursday sent letter to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited drawing government’s attention to the menace of oil theft and pipeline vandalism going on in the country.
PENGASSAN organised a peaceful protest march in Abuja, wherein they sent letter to President Buhari through the Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba Usman, and the NNPC Limited.
Speaking during the event, Abba Mohammed, the Group General Manager, Security, NNPC, stated that in order to curb oil theft and nip pipeline vandalisation into the bud, nigeria needs perception management and sensitisation, as well as the need to deal and radicalise behavioral patterns of oil thieves.
Mohammed also said there is the need for organised labour in the oil and gas sector to reach out and continue to put the negative effects of oil theft in the country in the front burner.
He made the submissions when the protesting members of PENGASSAN arrived at the headquarters of NNPC Limited to submit a letter to the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, in respect to the planned rally to draw government’s attention to the menace of oil theft and pipeline vandalism going on in the country.
According to him, “this is our country, we have no other place. You can see how Ukraine is being devastated in international politics, but whatever happens, they are not enjoying it neither Russia.”
He spoke on the reason nigeria is yet to tackle the issue of oil theft: “Why we could not solve this problem over there is that the South-South, the oil-producing community are our citizens. It’s not that the guards are not there but you can’t kill nor damage and destroy the place, rather nigeria must remain one and we must coexist.”
Similarly at the Louis Edet House of the nigeria Police Force, the oil workers, who began the protest from Unity Fountain, to drop letter on their grievances to the Inspector General of Police for onward delivery to President Muhammadu Buhari, were received by the Deputy Inspector General Police in charge of Operations, Bala Senchi.
While assuring the workers that their letter would be delivered to the IGP, he said their demands would be given immediate action.