Labour minister denies plans to proscribe NUPENG

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, has dismissed as untrue the allegations by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) that the Minister was on a vendetta mission to proscribe NUPENG.

In a statement signed by the Head, Press and Public Relations Unit of the Ministry, Mrs. Rhoda Iliya, the Minister said he has no intention of prescribing NUPENG or any Union whatsoever, even though constitutionally empowered to do so if need be.

Sen. Ngige warned the leadership of NUPENG to desist from misleading the public by spreading wrong information about the Ministry.

He explained: “On 13th May, 2019, a letter was written by the Department of Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations (TUSIR) of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, precisely by the Registrar of Trade Union to both the NUPENG and Trade Union Congress (TUC) drawing the attention of the Unions to the non-rendition of their financial returns for the years 2017 and 2018.

The letter directed that the Unions should comply according to the provisions of Sections 40 and 37(i) of the Trade Unions Act of 2004 which states that “every registered body shall send to the registrar before June 1 in each year, an annual return in the prescribed form… and shall be certified as correct by the dully appointed auditor.

“While the TUC President personally came to the Ministry to explain his predicament and asked for extension of time on compassionate ground, the ever–combative, arrogant and ill-informed NUPENG leadership took to the press for base name-calling, reminding everyone of their ill-fated invasion of the private residence of the Hon. Minister and asking this group of junior cadre oil workers, especially tanker drivers, to be on red alert for the strike – thus threatening Nigerians instead of apologising for being in default. We warn NUPENG to cease forthwith with this bogey of tanker drivers.

“It is evident that the Ministry was only carrying out its statutory functions. NUPENG was not singled out, neither was it asked to provide only the annual report of 2018 as they had conducted their 2019 conference.

“The Ministry, therefore. wishes to state that the Hon. Minister has no intention of proscribing NUPENG or any Union whatsoever, though constitutionally empowered to do so if need be, and warns the leadership of NUPENG to desist from misleading the public by spreading wrong information about the Ministry.

“In the same vein, the Ministry notes that the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) knows fully well that NUPENG is affiliated to the United Labour Congress (ULC) and that the Minister is the only competent authority in all labour matters in line with the provisions of the ILO.

The Ministry, therefore, warns NLC to stop engaging in a futile ill-advised skirmish with the Hon. Minister over a constitutional right of the President to make political appointments.”