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28 November, 2005
Nigerian affiliate NUPENG held its First Delegates’ Conference in Benin City, Edo state, this month, and took unprecedented action toward peace and stability for the oil and gas sector of the country.
The union issued a mandate that all refineries and other government assets that currently are up for privatisation need to maintain 10% stakes held by workers. NUPENG called for only “credible and competent” investors to take 51% stakes in enterprises, with 39% holdings held by the Nigerian government.
The union’s Delegate Assembly also called on oil exporting companies to build new refineries in Africa’s most populous country, and pledged industrial actions between January and June, 2006, to address the issue of casualisation and contract labour.
Specifically, NUPENG condemned the non-existent screening and auditing of expatriate worker quotas by the government’s Directorate of Petroleum Resources. Such standards exist now in memorandums of agreement.
Peter Akpatason was re-elected as NUPENG President; Ikechi Pius was re-elected as First Deputy; and Wosu Goodluck won election as Second Deputy. In elections for vice presidents, Osai Eddy was elected for Warri Zone, Okeke Basil elected for Port Harcourt Zone, Bako Joseph won re-election in Kaduna Zone, and Fakumoju K. in Lagos Zone. Elijah Okougbo remains NUPENG’s General Secretary.