By Oluwayemi Davidson, Warri
The National leadership of NUPENG has threatened a nationwide shutdown over the violent turn of the NLC peaceful protests in Kaduna State warning that if Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s administration persists in its intimidation of workers, NUPENG “may at very short notice of five hours call for a nationwide industrial action”.
This was contained in a statement by the Union on Tuesday jointly signed by its National President, Comrade Williams Akporeha and General Secretary, Comrade Afolabi Olawale, copies of which were made available to journalists in Warri, Delta State.
The statement said that NUPENG was “deeply saddened with the violent turn of NLC peaceful protests by the dictatorial and despotic regime of Governor Nasir El-Rufai in Kaduna State”.
“The leadership of the Union is therefore calling on the Federal Government to immediately call on Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai to order before his arrogance and power drunk ego further push the situation into horrendous calamity as he has been doing in all issues relating to human lives and wellbeing”, it further said.
The statement read further, “Consequently, the Union reiterates that no labour leaders or workers as the case may be, be harmed, harassed, maimed, humiliated or victimized during this five-day peaceful protests in the State.
“Our Union is raising this alarm following the very reliable report of the clandestine move of Governor Nasir El-Rufai to hurt and put the lives of NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and other labour leaders to danger in his usual blind egotistical style of running government in the State.
“NUPENG therefore warns that if any harm is inflicted on any of the members of organized Labour, the leadership of the Union will not hesitate to call on all our members throughout the nation for a total shut down of all our services in the upstream, mid-stream and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry.
“ln the light of the above, we are therefore putting all NUPENG members nationwide on red alert and may at very short notice of five hours call for a nationwide industrial action if situation arises”.