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Prosecute Subsidy Thieves, Don’t Pay their Claims – Labour Tells FG

By on August 20, 2012

Fuel Station Attendant

Labour Unions in the country have called on the Federal Government to prosecute the suspects involved in the subsidy scam without further delay.

The Acting General Secretary of the National Labour Congress (NLC) said the subsidy investigations which began since January should have been concluded by now.

He said, “This issue; those who have been indicted as a result of the probe committee of the House of Representatives and various investigations by the security agencies should be taken to court and if found guilty given appropriate punishment.

“However, it is apparent that the undue delay in bringing these people to book is causing all kinds of confusion within the oil sector.

“This protest against the fuel subsidy removal started in January and this is August. By now, all the checks and investigations on people’s claim should have been concluded, and those indicted prosecuted and punished. This is August, government does not even seem to know those indicted.”

Also speaking on the issue President of the Petroleum of Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) Mr. Babatunde Ogun, said Labour should consult widely before embarking on strike to ensure they were not being used by fraudulent petrol marketers to punish the people unnecessarily.

He said,  “There will be no tenable reason for any negligence. There is a need too for various association , either union or employers,  to critically analyse all issues before embarking on strike.

“The masses cannot be punished for no reasons of theirs, I know government cannot refuse to pay for verifiable claims. It is also a wake-up call on government to handle domestic refining with speed.”

The strike embarked on by NUPENG has crippled the Federal Capital Territory as most filling stations in the area are now closed and unable to dispense fuel due to unavailability of supplies.