National Telescope national telescope newspaper
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has distanced itself from a group posing as an association of oil and gas marketers and transporters.
NUPENG has cautioned Nigerians to avoid engaging with this group, citing concerns over its lack of legal recognition and the potential exploitation of unsuspecting citizens.
In a statement released in Port Harcourt on Monday, NUPENG’s National President, Williams Akporeha, and Secretary-General, Afolabi Olawale, addressed the issue, highlighting that the union does not recognize the group as legitimate.
“Our leadership has been alerted to advertisements from a group of unscrupulous and dangerous individuals claiming to represent an association of both oil and gas transporters and marketers,” the statement read.
“This so-called association is a collection of failed rent seekers from the subsidy regime and irredeemable smugglers posing as businessmen and women,” Akporeha stated.
NUPENG warned Nigerians, government officials, and institutions to be cautious of these individuals. According to the union, this group aims to profit from Nigerians in the wake of the recent subsidy removal, which has made fuel smuggling less profitable.
The union stressed its recognition of legitimate industry bodies, saying, “We recognize the National Association of Road Transport Owners as the legitimate body representing transporters in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, as well as the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria, and Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria as credible associations in the downstream sector.”
Akporeha reiterated that Nigeria’s labor laws recognize only NUPENG and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria as the umbrella bodies for oil and gas workers in the country.
The union urged Nigerians, particularly public officials, to avoid associating with the group.
“We implore all well-meaning Nigerians and government officials whose names these rent-seekers may be invoking to ignore any invitation from them. These individuals are mischief-makers who would go to any lengths, even jeopardizing the country’s interests for personal gain,” the statement warned.
NUPENG concluded by condemning the group’s attempts to manipulate the union into collecting funds on their behalf.
“Having failed in their numerous attempts to use our union as a cover for their rent-seeking activities, they’ve now resorted to cheap blackmail,” the statement added.
