NUPENG Puts Smile On The Faces of 1,710 Chevron Retirees

BY EGUONO ODJEGBA

A total of 1,710 disengaged workers of Chevon since 2012 have had their otherwise bleak future transformed into one boundless joy as each of them walked away with a terminal benefit of N2.1million, courtesy of the unremitting battle of the leadership of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).

The affected former staff of Big Six Labour Contractors, a resource unit of the giant upstream operator in Nigeria was believed to have been paid less than they were entitled to when they were laid off ten years ago.

National President of NUPEND, Comrade Williams Akporeha who disclosed above at the 5th Quadrennial Delegate Conference of NUPENG held recently at the Government Event Centre Asaba, Delta State, said the issue was one of the biggest outstanding cases he inherited at assumption of office.

Comrade Akporeha noted that the issue was a complicated and difficult one, and equally expressed happiness that he and his executive have been able to resolve it successfully in favour of their disengaged members.

“This was an issue that had defied all solution from the previous regime spanning several years.

We are very proud to report to this great gathering, that our administration stepped in and was able to handle this age long struggle to a very positive and successful conclusion with the signing of landmark agreement which provide for the sum of 2.1 million naira to each of the 1710 workers affected.

“This is a great victory for the Union” he said while giving his stewardship testimony in office.

The NUPENG leader said as part of efforts to build positive brand for members and to protect the union’s corporate image, the executive under his leadership has initiated the development of digitalized biometric identification cards for members, wit in the informal sector.

“This we believe will help to keep our identity safe from fraudsters and imposters who are found of faking our identity cards and image to defraud members of the public and as well carry out criminal and nefarious activities in the Oil and Gas sector.

“The first phase of the initiative has been successfully concluded for the informal sector branches and the new identity cards have been distributed. The identity card is now being used to conduct elections in the informal sector branches which has gone a long way to simplify and authenticate our accreditation processes during elections.

“As evidence of how widely acceptable the project is, Delegates at the recently convened Special Delegates Conference of the Union, unanimously adopted the motion to extend the coverage of the new initiative to even members in the formal sector of the Union.

“With this resolution from the Special Delegates Conference, the second phase of the biometric identity card will soon commence to cover all our members in the formal sector branches”, he said.

This is even as he disclosed that the Union under his watch has since embarked on the construction of a new National Secretariat. According to him, the Union in August 2019, initiated a groundbreaking ceremony for the NUPENG TOWER at No 9, Jibowu Street, Jibowu, Yaba, Lagos.

He explained that immediately after the groundbreaking ceremony, the construction of the 8 floors NUPENG TOWER commenced without stopping, adding that as at the moment, the contractors have concluded work on the 8th floor of the Tower with the roofing, already in place.

To match words with action, the performing, heavy weight unionist said “We are very confident, that every one of us gathered here will be invited to the NUPENG TOWER Housewarming by December this year by the special grace of God.”