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PRESS STATEMENT: In view of the growing cases of the deadly global Coronavirus Pandemic and the stay at home orders given by the Federal Government and States Governments, the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers { NUPENG} is seriously concerned with the health and safety of our very vulnerable members who are rendering critical services to the nation on daily basis in these critical times. These sets of workers include the Petroleum Tanker Drivers, Petrol Stations Workers, Petroleum Products Depots Workers and others who in the course of serving the nation become highly vulnerable to the virus. NUPENG wishes to inform all these members and other Stakeholders in the Downstream Sector of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry to diligently follow international protocols, including the recommended health and safety measures by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) by maintaining social distancing, excellent personal hygiene and keeping the work environment safe while discharging their essential services in the downstream sector of the industry and to the general public. At this crucial time, NUPENG is seriously monitoring the unfolding situation while also putting into account the safety and welfare of these vulnerable and integral segments of our membership which are of paramount concern to us. In the light of the above, the Union may be forced to direct these workers to stay at home in the next 72 hours. This is definitely going to be a very difficult decision to take but necessary and important with respect to the safety of these set of workers who are our members in the informal sector, and they include the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), Petrol Station Workers (PSW), Petroleum Depots Workers,Independent Marketers Employees, Oil and Gas Suppliers (OGS), Surface Tankers Kerosene Peddlers ( SUKATEP), Liquefied Petroleum Gas Retailers, (LPGAR),etc. Meanwhile, NUPENG is also using this opportunity to encourage all our members across the country to continue to adhere strictly to social distancing and high level of hygienic behavior at work, at home, on the streets and with everyone they interface with in their daily activities so as to reduce the spread of the contagious Covid-19 and keep the socio-economic activities of the country alive industrially, domestically and commercially. Rest assured that the leadership of the Union will not forsake you at this precarious moment and we equally urge you to remain good ambassadors, law abiding and disciplined in your conducts. It is our prayer that stakeholders in the health sector across the globe will find a lasting solution to this scourge, so that the world could be safe and healthy for us to live in. Thank you and God bless you all. Our solidarity remains constant for the Union makes us strong Signed: National President of NUPENG, Comrade Williams Eniredonana Akporeha General Secretary of NUPENG, Comrade Afolabi Olawale.

The FCT minister, Muhammad Musa Bello The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, has advised owners of articulated vehicles to always abide by the laid down laws guiding movement into, and out of the city. Malam Bello gave the advice when a delegation of national executives of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Petroleum Tanker Drivers led by NUPENG’s national President, Comrade Prince Williams Akporeha, paid a courtesy visit to the FCT Administration. According to a statement by the minister’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Anthony Ogunleye, traffic laws specify that articulated vehicles were restricted from plying roads in the mornings and early evenings, stressing that the law was in place to safe guard lives and property He said: “There are timings as to when articulated vehicles are allowed to move. And normally, the restrictions are mainly in the morning and early evening along the major arterial roads of Gwagwalada, Suleja and Mararaba so that tanker movements will not clash with the heavy vehicular movement in the city at such hours.” The National Chairman, Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch of NUPENG, Comrade (Otunba) Salimon Akanni Oladiti said development of any city should not be left to government alone, hence the association’s pledge to collaborate with the FCTA in order to contribute its quota to the development of the territory. SOURCE DAILY TRUST

Happy birthday to the National President of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Comrade (Prince) Williams Eniredonana Akporeha for his remarkable and purposeful contributions and sacrifice to the advancement of the Union. His unusual energy both day and night in devising policies, deploying resources and rallying leaders and other relevant industry stakeholders and government to improve positively on the conditions of oil and gas workers and member's human development and capacity building index in the last two years of his assumption into office are utterly phenomenal and commendable. Sir, you are not just a gem, you are a rare gem. The best leaders are truly humble leaders and when we think of great qualities of leaders, the first things that come to mind are traits like charisma, commitment, patience, tolerance, patriotism and vision; sir, with no shred of doubts these great virtues are conspicuously inherent in you, impressively so. May Almighty God grant you sound health, wisdom and strength to attain more milestones for NUPENG and Nigeria at large. May God also bless your new age with long life, prosperity and abiding fulfillment. Amen Congratulations to a trailblazer and leader with class and finesse. Cheers

By Emmanuel Ajibulu IndustriALL Nigeria Council (Women Committee) has on Wednesday, March 11, 2020 tasked women both in formal and informal sectors to actively embrace this year's theme for International Women’s Day, tagged, “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights” so as to accelerate gender parity and say no to discrimination in all forms. Women’s rights and gender equality are taking centre stage globally and these women in Union are leaving no stones unturned to accentuate the generation equality campaign by bringing together people of every gender, age, ethnicity, and religion to drive actions that will create desirable gender-equal world that everyone could be proud of. The female unionists who initially converged at the National secretariat of NUPENG Wednesday morning were seen chanting solidarity songs condemning gender-based violence and discrimination. They also danced around Jibowu and other adjoining streets and subsequently settled down to the Lagos Zone of NUPENG at Isaac John for paper presentations to deepen their advocacy despite the inclement nature of the weather. The women all clad in IndustriALL T-shirts with the inscription, "FGN Ratify and Domesticate ILO C190" used the strength of their campaigns to seek ratification and domestication of ILO Convention 190, economic justice and rights, bodily autonomy, sexual and reproductive health and rights, feminist action for climate justice, while also craving for technology and innovation for gender equality and feminist leadership amongst others. Twenty-five years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a progressive roadmap for gender equality, according to them it’s time to take stock of progress and bridge the gaps that remain through bold and decisive actions. Chairperson of the IndustriALL Nigeria Council, (Women Committee), Comrade Oluchi Amaogu, addressing the women at the Lagos Zone of NUPENG's office admonished all humanity to rise up to say no to violence and harassment against women and girls. She noted: "C190 provides a momentum for trade unions and other stakeholders to fight violence and harassment in the world of work. Unions have an important role to play to make sure the Convention becomes part of national laws. We call on our Unions to raise awareness and provide education to Union members and society at large. Mobilize around the issue of violence and harassment in the world of work; build alliances with other trade unions, national centers, NGOs and especially women's rights groups to help eliminate workplace violence and harassment." The women leader added: "Our unions and labour centers, either through CBAs and constant campaigns are expected to play their roles accordingly to meet this goal. To every comrade in the house we must be purpose driven though from different cultures and religious background but one purpose, protection of workers’ rights and defence of women. Let's work with love and the spirit of comradeship." Comrade Oluchi stressed further; "all affiliates are encouraged to take the pledge to end violence and harassment against women in their workplaces and in the Union. You can even visit industriALL website www.industriall-union.org for more details. As women, I urge us not be discouraged irrespective of the challenges. To our male counterparts and leaders, we implore and solicit your supports, to our government, we call for the ratification and domestication of C190." She stated. The auspicious gathering had in attendance seasoned resource persons who made paper presentations to intensify the consciousness of the women in Union about the theme of the anniversary as well as the essence of International Women's Day and how the women's rights can be guaranteed and sustained. Comrade Remi Ihejirika, a Project Manager at Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) dwelt exclusively on International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 190; whilst Comrade Oyinkan Olasanoye, National President of ASSBIF made a robust presentation on the 2020 theme of IWD, “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights”. Similarly, insightful remarks and fraternal messages were equally delivered by the representatives of Comrade B.G Olatunji, Chairman IndustriALL Nigeria National Council as well as Comrade Issa Aremu (mni), Vice President, IndustriALL Global Union Federation, SSAR. Participants at the lecture hall of the Lagos Zone of NUPENG office who also took part in the awareness walk and rally on Wednesday included members of all the Nigerian eight affiliates of IndustriALL Global Union, namely National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), National Union of Chemical Footwear Rubber Leather and Non Metallic Employees (NUCFRLANMPE). Others are Chemical and Non-Metallic Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (CANMPSSAN), Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Steel and Engineering Workers Union (SEWUN) and AUTOBATE.

PRESS STATEMENT: The National Leadership of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) is specially pleased with the patriotic and humane efforts being made by the 9th Assembly of the House of Representatives in the ongoing process for the passage of a bill seeking to amend the Labour Act to criminalise casualisation of workers in Nigeria. With this legislative intervention that has passed the second reading, NUPENG as a custodian of blue-collar workers in the oil and gas sector isparticularly excited with profound sense of appreciation in our current set ofLawmakers in seeing that the bill essentially seeks to prohibit engagement ofcasual workers beyond six months. We also discovered that section 8 of the bill accommodates as beingproposed a clause to the Act which provides that every worker shall enjoy fullemployment benefits as a permanent staff after six months of engagement andthat any employer who disengages a worker after a period of six months from thedate of first engagement without regularising the worker’s employment shall atthe date of disengagement pay to the worker full salary, allowances andentitlements due to a permanent staff for two months provided the worker hasnot been found liable of any criminal act involving fraud resulting tofinancial loss to the company amongst other things. This vicious phenomenon called worker's casualisation has regrettablyaccentuate the increasing levels of crimes and socio dislocations Nigeria iscurrently experiencing and has particularly caused our Union and members lotsof pains, setbacks, anguish and agonies for decades. Unfortunately, some exploitative and manipulative multinationalcompanies and their local collaborators in the oil and gas industry have overthe years being exploiting gaps in our Labour laws to flippantly treat NigeriansOil & Gas workers with disdain and indecent working conditions. Thankfully, our visionary Federal parliamentarians are gallantly risingto the occasion in ameliorating the pitiable situation of Nigerian Workersthrough their legislative powers by showing remarkable courage and capacity toreview the country's Labour Act so as to cater to the present-day needs of theNigerian workers with the intention of addressing some of the contemporarylabour challenges in the larger interest of the working people in the Oil & Gas industry. The Union also uses this medium to commend the sponsor of the Bill, Hon. Olawale Raji, a lawmaker representing Epe Federal Constituency from Lagos stateand the entire Leadership of the National Assembly for putting the interests of Nigerian workers above every other interest. This is timely, and it's a goodstep in the right direction and should attract floodgates of commendations and support from all and sundry. While we are also in similar vein calling on our distinguished senatorsto emulate this patriotic zeal of the House by speedily concurring to thisremarkable bill, we request that Employers who dissuade workers from getting unionizedshould also be sanctioned and penalized. To this extent, NUPENG can profoundly say this is a new dawn in theannals of industrial relations practice in Nigeria, a season whereby workers'confidence could be restored and a period where workers will no longer sufferindecent workplace treatment, job insecurity and other forms of precarious workconditions that often expose them to health risks, exploitation, depression,etc. NUPENG therefore urges the National AssemblyLeadership to count on our support at any time for the success of this billwhether at the Public Hearing stage or any other time which they may deemnecessary. It is our firm belief and expectation that this bill will bespeedily passed and meet Presidential assent before the end of second quarterof 2020. Our solidarity remains constant for the Union makes us strong. SIGNED: Comrade (Prince) Williams Eniredonana Akporeha, National President of NUPENG, Comrade Afolabi Olawale, General Secretary of NUPENG.