As the protest by back-up (casual ) staff of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) Ekpan in Uvwie, Delta State, enters day four, the protesting staff have accused powerful cabals within the oil and gas sector of sinister moves to frustrate President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to get the nation’s refinery back on track.
The protesters alleged that it was the desire of the unnamed cabals to ensure that the nation’s refineries including the Warri refinery remained grounded and comatose for their selfish interest as long as possible.
They also resolved to continue their protest which had enter day four to press home their demands including improved welfare package for members whom they claimed “are critical staff of the refinery.”
Speaking during the continuation of the protest on Thursday, the Lead Representative of the Support workers, Dafe Ighomitedo, said the refinery would remained grounded pending the approval of better condition of service by top management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
Ighomitedo appealed to the new Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Bashir Ojulari, to prioritise and attend to their plight to save the country of the needless embarrassment, stressing that they and their families were suffering.
While stating that the protesters would remain peaceful in their demands, he said the management of WRPC claimed to be waiting for approval from Abuja for further directives to the protesters.
“This is the fourth day of this struggle for liberation from Workplace Slavery. Before now, we told them we were going to come out and cry out, but they gave deaf ears. We have been here since Monday. This is to show how determined we are.
“Management has called us and all they could say is that they are waiting for approval from Abuja. We are beginning to feel that there are some elements that don’t want this refinery to work.
“We are being forced to believe that there are some elements that want to frustrate the transformative efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Who will believe that our salaries in all these years have been peanuts? We are committed workers who have put in our youthful and useful lives in sustaining the refinery”, Ighomitedo stated.
Lamenting the wide disparity between the salaries of the back-up and permanent staff, he said they would not leave the protest ground until they see what has been approved for them.
He urged the GCEO to, as part of his transformation agenda for the NNPC, “to transform these slave workers to well-meaning workers of this country.”
He also called on stakeholders and well-meaning Nigerians to add their voices to the struggle, to enable the refinery to commence operations, adding “without this workforce here, no matter the billions of dollars they put in here, there would be no result.”
