Group Accuses NNPC For Disrespecting Two Monarchs Over Sack Of Casual Workers

A south south group under the aegis of the Delta State Peace Movement,DSPM on Thursday, said the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation,NNPC disrespected the Olu of Warri Kingdom, HRM. Ogiame Ikenwoli and his Royal brother, the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom,HRM. Emmanuel Sideso Abe I for sacking and sending out their subjects who were casual staff from the Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company,WRPC without regards to the various thrones.

DSPM Chairman and Secretary respextively,Chief Moses Akpojovwe and Comrade Oritsegbemi Awaori made the assertion in a statement sent to our correspondent in Warri.

The group noted that the monarchs had engaged the management of NNPC and its subsidiary with a view to regularize it’s causal staffs which has been working with used for over 10-15 years as causal/ support staffs.

The group said the casual staff who had worked with the Federal Government’s establishment for the past fifteen years(15yrs) by NNPC is to pave way for their children whom they allegedly employed recently.

The group said the new recruit had resumed work since May 4 and not because the refineries were undergoing rehabilitation for the reasons cited for their(casual staff) sack.

The group stressed that the NNPC sacked them after it openly promised the two monarchs in the presence of the National Assembly Committee on Public Petition as well as leaders of the various host communities that their subjects and kinsmen will not be sacked because of their agitation for conversion.

According to the group,”Only Port Harcourt refinery has undergone first phase of the rehabilitation which is equipment assessment. The remaining two refineries (Warri and Kaduna ) has not.

“NNPC knew that what they did was against President Buhari’s marching order that no one should be sacked during this trying time that the whole World is providing for their Citizen . This act is wicked, inhuman and callous and must not stand.

“One questions we keep asking ourselves is NNPC above the Law? If the answer is no , Why did NNPC sacked the Support/ Casual staff despite the pending case before the house of representative committee on public petition and there was a letter issued by the committee no 13th December ,2019 that none of the Support Staff should be sacked until this case is determined by the house. NNPC still went ahead to do the contrary, is this not Prejudicial ? We were not surprised by NNPC height of lawlessness and disrespect to Nigeria law.

” If NNPC Management could only appear once out of seven times summon before the ? House Committee on several occasion despite their office being a stone throw to National assembly complex , disrespect the Olu Of Warri and Ovie of Uvwie kingdom who always send their Palace representative, the Chairmen of Warri South and Uvwie Local Govt and the Chairmen of the five host communities at each hearing then saying we are surprised is a joke.

“We believed disrespecting the committee alone is a slap on the RT Hon Speaker of the house that constituted the Committee,is a Slap on the house leadership and the entire house. Disrespecting the traditional institutions of the two Majesty is a slap on the entire Urhobo and Itsekiri Worldwide.

“We want to also say categorically here that Mr Kennie Obateru lied about NNPC not knowing the support staff as their workers . They were employed by their SBU’s after MEXCOM ratification . MEXCOM is the highest board Executive decision making of each SBU’s and the names were sent to Abuja after employment.

“They were not supplied by any contractors. It was their SBU’s that gave them to paymaster in order to avoid labour law litigation .

“We know he is a new man in this office if is in need of any information about support staff he should meet his HR counterpart or the outgoing NNPC spoke person Mr ugumadu .

“All information regarding the engagement were presented to the house committee on public hearing in the presence of Group General Manager and General manager HR on 11th November ,2019. Including the letters written by the management requesting communities to bring their people for employment to fulfill host community agreement .

The House Committee on public hearing was convinced beyond reasonable doubt that these persons were employed by NNPC through their SBU’s at needed time which lead to the Chairman House Committee on Public hearing and every member of the committee agreed that NNPC should go and Convert us to permanent staff and come back on February 19th 2020 to brief the house on how far NNPC has gone on regularising the support staff.

“To our greatest surprise , up till today NNPC failed to appear for the said date with a letter of request for time to study and implement the directives of the committee. After that, another date was given which is 29th April, 2020 for final hearing on this issue between Support /Casual staff and NNPC .

“The house couldn’t meet because of the Coronavirus break and same NNPC went ahead to sack this over one thousand Support staff”

The group frowned at the statement from NNPC spokesperson,Mr O who for his lack of knowledge and experience came on national daily to say that NNPC management sack only 100 workers who work with a certain contractor.

“We want to make it clear to him that in Warri refinery, the cooperation is making use of 20 pay master (contractor) to run the monthly payment of this sacked workers and others who are still working without knowing their faith. The various contractor are modern steel company, Joyce Audu company, Pakivie Global company, Alert and protection, sege system company, bike international limited, everony Nigeria limited, Everest company, Hensa nig. Limited, Famado …… this contractors are not five like the liar in NNPC claimed.

“This show that Mr O who claim to be NNPC spoke persons did not have good knowledge of the cooperation he is representing if not how can a full grown man come to the public to say that NNPC management only sack 100 person through contractor and that the contractors who were given contract repeatedly use this sacked workers on the 3 month basis regular contract given to them. No wonder they say a fool at forty is a fool forever if not Mr O won’t have come to the public lying to defend the company of it’s evil practice over the years.

“DSPM demand a public apology from NNPC spoke person who with lack of knowledge displayed foolishness and disrespect to the people of the south for such statement on his people.

“Since Mr O has short memory, DSPM want to remind him that in 2017 NNPC management carried out a screening, verification and biometric capturing on these support staff for the propose of converting them before the process was put to a stop by the then GMD claiming his people will not benefits from such process if successful implemented, we then ask, was it the contractors he claimed that did such verification and biometric capturing.

“In 2008 some of this same support staff were invited for attitude test in Abuja which they later called off was it the same contractor that invited these staffs to NNPC towers in Abuja. Men like Mr O in the cooperation can not bring growth and development, we now see the reason why NNPC for years has not being able to manage the huge sum of resources at his disposal, it is because men like Mr O who bribed their ways into becoming NNPC spoke person. For just 3 months of his appointment he can come to the public with such lies that show how wicked and lack of knowledge he had.

“Let it also be know to Mr O and NNPC management that DSPM in the coming days will be going public with all documents of NNPC and several videos of it visit to the various palace and kings. Maybe this will teach NNPC management and it’s spoke person a lesson not to come to the public to sell lies.

“DSPM still stands by it earlier demand that all the sacked workers should be recall and regularize to NNPC staffs within the said two weeks given them. After the expiration of the 14th days all NNPC subsidiaries operation in Delta State will feel the impact of their top management actions. We are fully ready for actions and this may be the first of its kind in the region.”