Oil workers give govt 7-day ultimatum to pay N224m debt

Members of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, Lagos Zonal Council, in their hundred stormed the Lagos State House of Assembly in Alausa, on Tuesday, December 19 demanding N224 million debt the state government owes them.

The protesters, who shut down vehicular movements around and the Assembly and the Governor’s office, said the money was for diesel and kerosene supplied to the agency between October 2014 and May 2015.

They were said to have arrived the state government’s secretariat at about 8 a.m. and blocked movements around the House of Assembly complex with their vehicles.

“We have been harassed, molested by the Skye bank that sponsored this project,” the chairman of the Union, Tokunbo Korodo, said.

“It’s going to be a painful and shameful thing that you get an LPO from Lagos State government with holistic belief that by end of three months your money will be paid.

“After a year we are still begging for this payment, it is a big shame and it’s sending a very strong signal to all our members that if you are going to transact business with any government, not only Lagos State alone, we should be very careful,” he said.

Moving forward, Korodo said, said the Union members would deal with the government on a cash-on-delivery basis.

“If you don’t see your money, don’t deliver", he said; adding that “after the expiration of these seven days we should not be blamed if we withdraw our services to the people of Lagos State. We are being pushed to the wall and injury to one person is injury to all".

Speaking on behalf of the Assembly, Segun Olulade, a member representing Epe Constituency 2, appealed to the angry oil workers to exercise patience, promising that House would look into the matter and get back to the workers within 24 hours.

He said: “We are receiving your petition, but I want to appeal on behalf of over 20 million Lagosians that you allow us to mediate in this matter. That this matter is coming to us for the first time, to our notice as a House, and by so doing we will invite all those who are involved and we will hear from them

“I want to assure you that within the next 24 hours, we’ll get in touch with you and the House will act swiftly on this matter".

Olulade however urged the protesters not to bother taking their protests to the Governor's Office, assuring that the House carry out thorough investigations and would ensure the oil workers are not short-changed.