The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) have threatened to shut oil facilities in Edo and Delta States operated by Pan Ocean Oil Limited.
Pan Ocean Oil Limited was recently acquired by Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON).
The oil workers vowed to shut down the operations of the company by Monday midnight following the non-payment of their severance benefits to them.
According to the aggrieved workers, the decision to disrupt oil production is to protest against the non-payment of their severance benefits by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) a subsidiary of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) having taken over the running of the company.
Other reasons adduced by the workers include employees Roll Over as well as legacy payment of PAYE tax and contributory pensions of over 33 months after deducting same from their salaries over the years by Pan Ocean Oil Limited.
According to a joint statement signed by PENGASSAN Chairman, Comrade Rex Aibangbee and his NUPENG counterpart, Comrade Aboy Udi and made available to newsmen over the weekend during a peaceful protest, they maintained that nothing will stop the members from executing the shutting down of the facilities of the acquired company by NNPC.
The labour unions noted that their members will commence the total shutdown of operations in Pan Ocean Oil in Benin, Edo State and Ogharaefe in Delta state to protest the non-payment of their severance benefits and other entitlements.
“We are shutting down the Benin Operations Base Office of the company situated at KM 10 Sapele Road, Benin City, and the Ovade -Ogharefe Gas Plant/Flow station OML-98 facilities by midnight Monday (Today) if our demands are not met”, they said in the statement.
The twin oil unions lamented the plights of their employees since the takeover of the company by Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, following the revocation and handover of the OML-98 acreage to NPDC, its subsidiary.
