The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has called on the management of Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited (NAOC) to obey the Port Harcourt High Court order that status quo should be maintained or face the wrath of the union.
The union also called on the management of Arco Petrochemical Engineering Company Plc, General Electric (GE) and Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited (NAOC) to pay the severance benefits of the union members in Arco Petrochemical Engineering Company.
According to the union, NAOC was bent on disobeying the Port Harcourt High Court order that status quo should be maintained in the issue involving the termination of a contract given to Arco by NAOC and transferred to Plantgeria.
It stated: “NAOC management is behaving as if it is above the law and in this era when we are clamouring for the rule of law and the action of NAOC is tantamount to contempt of the court.
The union explained that its members commenced a strike in response to a threat by NAOC to deny them access to the plant on May 28, 2015 but that on June 30, 2015, Justice Akanbi Lambo of the Federal High Court Port Harcourt ruled that a status quo be maintained pending the hearing in the case that was adjourned till 26th October, 2015.
It stressed that it does not matter which company NAOC gives the contract but that NAOC should obey the court order pending the determination of the case, adding that PENGASSAN will not tolerate a situation whereby its members will either be molested or locked out, pending the determination of the case.
PENGASSAN said: “To our greatest surprise, instead for the management of NAOC to obey the court order and maintain the status quo , it made good its threat by ordering that Arco staff should hand over to Plantgeria and thereby denying our members access to the plant on July 7, 2015.
“While the strike lasted, issues arose in the OB/OB Gas Plant in Kwale, Delta State and the NAOC Management approached the union to allow its members in Arco to fix the problem, which our members obliged with the staff of GE within the period of the strike. The Managements of the three companies should pay our members’ severance package and other entitlements.
“Since then, NAOC refused to sign our members’ time sheet and refused respect the court order. A position the union does not expect from an organization like NAOC.”
