The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, one of Nigeria’s largest oil unions launched a nationwide strike on Monday over the laying off of its workers.
PENGASSAN whose members mainly work in the upstream oil industry, started the industrial action after talks with government agencies ended in deadlock, said Lumumba Okugbawa, its general secretary.
PENGASSAN’s nationwide strike coincides with the lingering fuel scarcity in most states of Nigeria which was caused by non-agreement between local oil marketers and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.
Many states in Nigeria including its commercial centre Lagos hve witnessed long queues as fuel scarcity and hoarding returns to the oil-rich country.
The move by PENGASSAN could hit the country’s crude oil production and dent exports, as was the case in December 2016 during industrial action by the union against Exxon Mobil.
Nigeria is Africa’s largest crude exporter and oil sales make up two-thirds of government revenue.
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“PENGASSAN is on industrial action as a result of unfair labour practices by some companies, particularly indigenous oil and gas companies,” said Okugbawa.
The dispute arose after domestic oil and gas companies and marginal field operators laid off members of the union.
Marginal fields refer to discoveries made by oil majors during exploration of larger acreage but which have been left for others to develop.
The union leader said office workers and staff working in distribution were among those taking part in the strike.
He did not disclose the estimated number of workers involved and Reuters was not immediately able to ascertain the impact of the strike.
Nigeria’s crude production has fluctuated over the last two years due to militant attacks, pipeline theft and industrial action.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
