PENGASSAN Members Protest, Demands Removal Of Chevron MD

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Chevron branch, on Monday called for the removal of the Chairman and Managing Director of Chevron, Mr Jeff Ewing.

The News Agency of Nigeria reported they made the call during workers protest at the company. It also reported that union members also protested in all Chevron facilities across the country.

The workers were reported to have expressed their lack of confidence in the leadership of the CMD. They said he should be removed and never be reassigned to another office for his lack of integrity.

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers also vowed to shut down the facilities of Chevron in Warri, Delta State on Wednesday should the company disregard its seven-day ultimatum to reinstate 32 workers.

The General Secretary, Mr Afolabi Olawale, made the vow in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents on Monday.

NUPENG which had in the ultimatum letter dated Wednesday January 1, 2020 said the 32 workers were sacked for becoming members of NUPENG.

It said Chevron ordered the sacking through one of its contractors, Cordeau Nigeria Limited, at the twilight of 2019.

It thus gave Chevron a seven-day ultimatum to reinstate the workers or face both legal and industrial action.

Olawale warned that at the expiration of the ultimatum on Wednesday, if the sacked workers were not reinstated, the union would shut down Chevron’s facilities in Warri, the station where the workers were sacked.

Olawale, however, said the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mele Kyari, had detailed an official of the corporation to reach out to all the parties involved in the sacking fray.

He said this would not deter the union from mobilising for an industrial action, unless the union received favourable response from Chevron.

The union in a statement also signed by NUPENG’s President, Williams Akporeha, expressed what it called ‘deep frustration’ and ‘disappointment’ over the directive from Chevron Nigeria Limited telling its contractor, Cordeau Nigeria Limited, to sack 32 workers for insisting on being NUPENG members.

The statement read in part, “NUPENG with every atom of strength in us is vehemently opposed to this unpatriotic and uncivilised move in view of our assertive commitment to the protection of jobs of our members, considering the high level of unemployment in the country.”