RIP NUPENG, PENGASSAN, NLC, it's time for you to die

Some people are of the notion that Unions are set up to protect the interests of the people, well at least they got the first part right. Yes Unions are set up to protect interests... but the interests of a particular 'group' of people.

Every Union is set up to protect the 'interests of the parties that came together to establish it'. When that position is in line with that of other groups or the public at large, then they claim to be speaking the minds of the people. When their position however is against the interest of the public or some other group, then their interest comes first. Bottom line 'their interests always comes first'.

Did not Nitel staffs and their 'supporters' protest against the privatisation of the telecoms industry, even when at the time we did not have up to 200k lines (both Landlines and mobile) in the whole country, simply because they were scared they will no longer be relevant. Where are their supporters now?

Even Abacha at the height of his tyranny got 1 million people to march for him including Oyenka Owenu and Shina Peters. Unfortunately I was not included in the 1M march for Abacha... that cash passed me by and it still hurts when I think of it.

Before you get all righteous, everyone including you has a price and for N500k I will march interstate for anybody. Yes I know i’m cheap but i’ll rather be bought than be eliminated. So having people show solidarity to a particular cause does not make it right.

Back to the matter at hand. NNPC is a failed corporation. If splitting it into seven units will make it work better, why then the opposition? For the same reason the staffs of PHCN fought and are still fighting the privatisation of electricity generation, the same reason oil importers fought the sale of our refineries... Cash, and we are talking billions of dollars here.

Read: Oil company failed to pay N3.2trn in 2014

According to the auditor-general Samuel Ukura, in 2014 the NNPC did not pay to the government 3.2 trillion naira ($16 billion) which accounts for about 70 percent of the total income generated by the corporation for that year. If you recall, the then CBN Governor Lamido Sanusi, was suspended for accusing the NNPC of failing to pay $20 billion into government accounts between January 2012 and July 2013.

It's all about the Cash. Mind you we have not taken into account the dues paid by members of these Unions nationwide, the consultancy fees and the settlements from awarding contracts. Why will they not strike?

Swear down, if my father or benefactor is a member of NNPC, I will be in the forefront marching with other 'comrades', all in a bid to maintain the status quo. Which is the case of the recent strike action embarked upon by Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) over the supposed unbundling of NNPC into seven independent units.

Read: NNPC crisis shows Nigerians are resistant to change

What’s worrying is, these Unions are so big, every government is scared of taking them on. They literally have the balls of this country in their palms. Take for instance the recent strike action embarked upon by NUPENG and PENGASSAN, with PHCN supplying some skillful assists like a Barca midfielder. After two days of no fuel and electricity, plus the current heat wave, the people had had enough and the petroleum minister beat a hasty retreat. As usual the focus was diverted from the actual merits of the case, which is the splitting up of NNPC to the sufferings of the people... which was much.

Only for PENGASSAN via its president Mr Olabode Johnson to advise President Buhari to declare a state of emergency in the petroleum industry to end fuel scarcity. What double facedness.

It's time for these Unions to be broken up and disbanded. It's time for them to die, so Nigeria and Nigerians can prosper. If the stolen funds were remitted, the naira would not have fallen the way it has in recent times. Sure it would have taken a beaten but not this bad. The CBN would have had more foreign currency to act as a buffer, rather our foreign reserve is languishing in private accounts in Swiss while the nation as a whole suffers.

NUPENG, PENGASSAN and NLC. have all outlived their usefulness and are too big to handle, someone should please do us a favour and kill all these Unions.