Damilola Shittu – Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari has assured workers in the oil and gas industry of his commitment to ensuring a conducive working environment for them, saying he will accelerate the process of signing into the law the Petroleum Industries Bill once it is passed into law by the National Assembly.
The President, who spoke through the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, at the 40th anniversary celebration of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) in Abuja, said his government was committed to the welfare of workers.
He added that he will do everything possible to ensure a conducive working environment for them.
The President also reminded them of his government’s stance on constitutionality, saying he would always uphold the Nigerian constitution, especially section 40 which guarantee freedom of association and freedom to form unions.
He emphasised the need for dialogue in dealings with employers, saying: “There can be no employers without employees and there can be no employees without employers. So, you need each other’s always and must, therefore, work together for the common good of all.”
NUPENG President, Comrade Williams Akporeha said despite challenges and obstacles, workers solidarity remains ever constant like the northern star.
He added: “Our resolve is unshaken, our unity unruffled, integrity intact and we remain indomitable and irrepressible as any industrial union will ever dream to be. In the light of these, we deserve to celebrate and felicitate together, and this we are here to do today.
“However, one major hydra-headed monster we have been confronting for over two decades now is the titanic struggle against casualisation and indecent employment in the Nigeria oil and gas industry.”
He said NUPENG has in the last four decades consistently and creditably contributed to the growth of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry and the enthronement of industrial peace and harmony has also positively impacted on the socio-political and economic growth of the nation.
