The continued protest calling for the sack of the Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), by the aggrieved workers enter day three with the staff shunning negotiation with the Federal Government.
The staff on Thursday occupied the commission’s office in Jabi, Abuja in continuation of their call for the sack of the Chief Executive Officer over alleged monumental fraud and poor working environment.
NUPRC workers’ stance was reinforced in day three, when the Federal Government through its Ministry of Petroleum Resources met with them at one of their protest grounds, in front of the Commission’s office at Jabi, Abuja.
Recall that following the expiration of ha 24-hour ultimatum, the angry staff of the Commission formerly Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) had on Tuesday, started picketing and barricading, to press home their demands, including immediate investigation and suspension of the embattled NUPRC Chief Executive, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe.
Addressing the protesting staff of the commission, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Gabriel Aduda pleaded with them to suspend the protest and come for negotiations.
While appreciating the entire NUPRC staff for their patience, as there is nothing wrong in showing their grievances with the system, said the Ministry is happy to meet with the staff union at every single level, to ensure that their struggle is brought to a reasonable and amicable conclusion.
“All gathered here are very responsible people, and you are doing this because you want the nation to move forward. Your are doing this because you want the NUPRC as a commission to not only perform its duty as a regulator, but to do so with the best international standard better.
“At this point trust me, nobody is here to deceive anyone, as what has happened is in the open. And what we want to do now is to appeal to the union that yes you may have tried at the level of the parastatal, and it hasn’t work, let us come up to the level of the ministry.
“Remember, it is still out of us that the solution must come, so we don’t need to continue with the strike while work suffers, rather let us suspend it for now, and how the entire management and the union up to the national level sit with us in a meeting to be led and chaired by myself to see that we come to a conclusion on all your demands including the apologies that you are asking for. So let us raise teams, and begin negotiations immediately.”