What's New In W. Africa (Nigeria)
Nigerian In Law
Tokunbo,
Excellent post mate. As my handle suggests, I have in-laws in Nigeria and the s**t they went through to get an education (especially a higher one) and then get a half decent job is just tragic
The huge amount of raw natural talent that is wasted (or turns to crime) is a sad indictment of a number of different things. Inequality, tribalism, nepotism to name but a few. Bloody sad.
Chuks,
Best of luck with the rest of your qualifications. You never know, maybe we'll meet again when you're flying Virgin Atlantic into Lagos ?!! Don't suppose you'll unlock the cockpit door though.......With your background I'd have no qualms if there was fog in London !!
By the way, forgot to tell you all, Bristow announced 6/6 today
Cheers,
NEO
Excellent post mate. As my handle suggests, I have in-laws in Nigeria and the s**t they went through to get an education (especially a higher one) and then get a half decent job is just tragic
The huge amount of raw natural talent that is wasted (or turns to crime) is a sad indictment of a number of different things. Inequality, tribalism, nepotism to name but a few. Bloody sad.Chuks,
Best of luck with the rest of your qualifications. You never know, maybe we'll meet again when you're flying Virgin Atlantic into Lagos ?!! Don't suppose you'll unlock the cockpit door though.......With your background I'd have no qualms if there was fog in London !!
By the way, forgot to tell you all, Bristow announced 6/6 today
Cheers,
NEO
Wow! 6/6 after all these years....now what's the hardcore Teabags to do now in re Inland Revenue? Guess they will be taking overseas holidays after all....or will they work an 7/5 and demand a couple of increments for the workover?
Nigerian In Law
Sas,
Isn't a teabag something used to make tea which is never quite as nice as using real tea ? Why would an inanimate object have anything to do with the Inland Revenue ?
If you mean British people, then there are hardly any left in Bristow Nigeria these days. And 7/5 was always a problem with the tax man too.
Nor are there many Yankees, Goddam Yankees or any other loud, crass (sorry Chuks), been there, done that, when I was in blah blah blah people from across the Atlantic either.
NEO
Isn't a teabag something used to make tea which is never quite as nice as using real tea ? Why would an inanimate object have anything to do with the Inland Revenue ?
If you mean British people, then there are hardly any left in Bristow Nigeria these days. And 7/5 was always a problem with the tax man too.Nor are there many Yankees, Goddam Yankees or any other loud, crass (sorry Chuks), been there, done that, when I was in blah blah blah people from across the Atlantic either.
NEO
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Stan,
You obviously don't know Nigeria very well. Many of the terrorists kidnapping people right now may not have PhDs or gone far in school, but it doesn't mean they aren't bright (as opposed to just ruthless). One of the things that some of the more genuine ones are fighting for is the opportunity to have a proper education. I condemn their methods, but I can understand their anger and frustration.
As for having honest jobs if they're bright ..... In Nigeria that has nothing to do with anything. It's who you know. If you're not well connected, then you can be an Einstein but never have any opportunity. If one of your family has a good managerial job he will give priority to his own relatives over other, possibly better qualified, applicants. People over here buy qualifications. Hapless, girls have to submit to sexual advances from their educators to pass exams (sometimes maybe done deliberately to secure a pass they're not capable of, sometimes a bright girl will not have her exam results published unless she submits). It's awfully sad, but that's still the reality of life in Nigeria, where 75% of the population subsists on less then $1 a day. That reality leads the terrorists and those politically motivated and trying to force change, to think of all expats as rich and an easy target to get either money or publicity.
You obviously don't know Nigeria very well. Many of the terrorists kidnapping people right now may not have PhDs or gone far in school, but it doesn't mean they aren't bright (as opposed to just ruthless). One of the things that some of the more genuine ones are fighting for is the opportunity to have a proper education. I condemn their methods, but I can understand their anger and frustration.
As for having honest jobs if they're bright
..... In Nigeria that has nothing to do with anything. It's who you know. If you're not well connected, then you can be an Einstein but never have any opportunity. If one of your family has a good managerial job he will give priority to his own relatives over other, possibly better qualified, applicants. People over here buy qualifications. Hapless, girls have to submit to sexual advances from their educators to pass exams (sometimes maybe done deliberately to secure a pass they're not capable of, sometimes a bright girl will not have her exam results published unless she submits). It's awfully sad, but that's still the reality of life in Nigeria, where 75% of the population subsists on less then $1 a day. That reality leads the terrorists and those politically motivated and trying to force change, to think of all expats as rich and an easy target to get either money or publicity.Im more aware of the situation there than you might think. Still, I am not going to make excuses to justify criminal behavior. Nothing about the situation there justifies the kidnappings, rapes & general lawlessness taking place there. Unacceptable & there is no excuse for it. Economic pressure need to be brought upon the government of Nigeria to clean up their act.
My point is the Oil compainies are making massive profits. More than enough to ensure the safety of their personnel even if they have to bribe those in the government, which I think would be wrong.
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Nigeria Has New Aviation Minister
So, in the wake of the ADC crash, the former Minister of Aviation, Professor Babalola Borishade has also fallen, much to the relief of most in the aviation community. He has been replaced by Femi Fani Kayode, formerly special assistant to the president on public communications (also known as Presidential attack dog), a post he used for insulting Nigerians from every background who criticised any of Obasanjo's policies. Members of the Nigerian press reported getting intimidating phone calls from him if he saw anything he disliked in their reporting. He later had to bite his tongue and claimed to be 'born again', when he was in front of the senate to be confirmed as Minister of Culture and Tourism. whether he will be any more effective than 'Boris' time alone will tell.
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The former Chief Pilot of Caverton has now rejoined Aero. He's been seen around in PH the last couple of days with strong rumours that he was going to Bristow. They've also fired another local pilot, so they must be down to only 3 or 4 pilots by now. I guess it doesn't really matter as they only seem to be flying their 2 Astars now. Maybe the new hangar in PH will never get finished?
I hear they're trying to sell their 109E, but having problems getting a decent price for it, with one buyer in UK having just pulled out of negotiations.
With no CVFDRs in their Dauphins meaning they can't fly them for jow, I wonder if HeliPortugal are beginning to wonder if they'll ever see their machines again?
Looks as if they'll end up going the way of Southern Air, only with even bigger losses.
I hear they're trying to sell their 109E, but having problems getting a decent price for it, with one buyer in UK having just pulled out of negotiations.
With no CVFDRs in their Dauphins meaning they can't fly them for jow, I wonder if HeliPortugal are beginning to wonder if they'll ever see their machines again?
Looks as if they'll end up going the way of Southern Air, only with even bigger losses.
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Bristow 6/6
NEO,
What's the deal with this Bristow 6/6? Are they also still looking at offering 8/4? How does their pay compare with CHC? Even if it's the same, I can't exactly see a queue of pilots looking to transfer from Aero (quite the opposite in fact looking at how many pilots have just transferred, or are in the process of transferring, the other way). Bristow has a long, long way to go to match the additional benefits offered by CHC, such as pension schemes and loss of licence. Even in country their daily food allowance is lower and their medical cover almost non-existent. CHC has a modern fleet of helicopters, with only a couple more than 4 years old and more new machines on the way. The AW 139 is due to arrive soon and there are rumours of S92s and EC225s. I also hear that the move to the new death camp hasn't caused anyone to leave. Most of the guys think it will never happen.
If you've got any more positive news I'm sure there's a lot of disillusioned CHC guys who'd love to hear it, but none of them are going to leave just to get the same deal with vague stories of taking over old ACN housing estates. By the time people have to move to the death camp most of the old guard Schreiner will have been driven away anyway and the newbies either won't know or won't care. If the lockdown most companies are on now continues, who cares where they live (as long as it's comfortable and well-equipped) if they can't go out anyway?
What's the deal with this Bristow 6/6? Are they also still looking at offering 8/4? How does their pay compare with CHC? Even if it's the same, I can't exactly see a queue of pilots looking to transfer from Aero (quite the opposite in fact looking at how many pilots have just transferred, or are in the process of transferring, the other way). Bristow has a long, long way to go to match the additional benefits offered by CHC, such as pension schemes and loss of licence. Even in country their daily food allowance is lower and their medical cover almost non-existent. CHC has a modern fleet of helicopters, with only a couple more than 4 years old and more new machines on the way. The AW 139 is due to arrive soon and there are rumours of S92s and EC225s. I also hear that the move to the new death camp hasn't caused anyone to leave. Most of the guys think it will never happen.
If you've got any more positive news I'm sure there's a lot of disillusioned CHC guys who'd love to hear it, but none of them are going to leave just to get the same deal with vague stories of taking over old ACN housing estates. By the time people have to move to the death camp most of the old guard Schreiner will have been driven away anyway and the newbies either won't know or won't care. If the lockdown most companies are on now continues, who cares where they live (as long as it's comfortable and well-equipped) if they can't go out anyway?
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I understand everything you said. I just dont think it is right. I think a number of the problems involving security could be corrected if the government wanted to correct them. Hell, Nigeria is the 8th largest producer of oil in the world. In light of that I think the situation there is shameful. As well as corruption in the governmant, there are many societal issues also. Very sad.
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OK Stan,
Of course you're right. Unfortunately Nigerian governments over the decades have shown that they don't want change. Many of the problems here are of their own making and the oil finances only their own corrupt lifestyles at the expense of their people, to whom it really belongs. They covertly encourage many of the problems in order to gain political leverage.
I guess the helicopter companies here just take a leaf from that same book. They don't care about the safety of the staff, except where it affects their ability to keep on flying and making $$$$$ for them.
Of course you're right. Unfortunately Nigerian governments over the decades have shown that they don't want change. Many of the problems here are of their own making and the oil finances only their own corrupt lifestyles at the expense of their people, to whom it really belongs. They covertly encourage many of the problems in order to gain political leverage.
I guess the helicopter companies here just take a leaf from that same book. They don't care about the safety of the staff, except where it affects their ability to keep on flying and making $$$$$ for them.
PPRuNe Time
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Militants from Bilabiri community in Ekeremor local government, Bayelsa State have again kidnapped two expatriate oil workers, an American and a Briton who work for Norway Oil Services, located on Bilabiri coastal waters.
The incident occurred in the wee hours of yesterday when the youths attacked a ship housing the oil workers along the Atlantic coast off the shores of Bayelsa State, paralysing the oil servicing company, contractor to Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).
The action of the armed youths may not be unconnected with the alleged insensitivity of the oil company towards the plight of the community which has been widely reported by the media of late.
A leader of Bilabiri community, who pleaded anonymity while speaking with Daily Champion, said the militant youths stormed the facility of the company and over-powered the security men guarding the area before whisking them off to Ekeremor.
Investigations by Daily Champion however reveal that no casualty was recorded, but tension is still rising in the locality, as no one could clearly pin down the whereabouts of the hostages, but a close government source intimated our reporter that a delegation has been detailed to effect the release of the hostages; even as the Bayelsa Volunteer, a security outfit in the state has also dispatched its personnel to to the area so as to assist the police and other security outfits.
Only recently, the state governor, Goodluck Jonathan said the state government would establish a special fund to cater for the problems of oil bearing communities in the state, adding that security would also be beefed up in the state in order to reduce issues of hostage taking to the bearest minimum; while calling on the oil companies to be more alive to their responsibilities to avoid cases of friction between them and their host communities.
When contacted,State Police Commissioner, Hafiz Ringim, said he was not aware of the incident.
Last Saturday, armed youths of Benisede community, Ekeremor local government shut down the flow station belonging to the Nigeria Agip Oil Company(NAOC) over the Italian firm for failure to honour a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)signed with the host community.
Contacted on the issue, Commander of the military Joint Task Force (ITF) Brig. Gen. Alfred Ilogho confirmed the incident saying he has deployed some troops to Ekeremor community to investigate the kidnap.
The incident occurred in the wee hours of yesterday when the youths attacked a ship housing the oil workers along the Atlantic coast off the shores of Bayelsa State, paralysing the oil servicing company, contractor to Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).
The action of the armed youths may not be unconnected with the alleged insensitivity of the oil company towards the plight of the community which has been widely reported by the media of late.
A leader of Bilabiri community, who pleaded anonymity while speaking with Daily Champion, said the militant youths stormed the facility of the company and over-powered the security men guarding the area before whisking them off to Ekeremor.
Investigations by Daily Champion however reveal that no casualty was recorded, but tension is still rising in the locality, as no one could clearly pin down the whereabouts of the hostages, but a close government source intimated our reporter that a delegation has been detailed to effect the release of the hostages; even as the Bayelsa Volunteer, a security outfit in the state has also dispatched its personnel to to the area so as to assist the police and other security outfits.
Only recently, the state governor, Goodluck Jonathan said the state government would establish a special fund to cater for the problems of oil bearing communities in the state, adding that security would also be beefed up in the state in order to reduce issues of hostage taking to the bearest minimum; while calling on the oil companies to be more alive to their responsibilities to avoid cases of friction between them and their host communities.
When contacted,State Police Commissioner, Hafiz Ringim, said he was not aware of the incident.
Last Saturday, armed youths of Benisede community, Ekeremor local government shut down the flow station belonging to the Nigeria Agip Oil Company(NAOC) over the Italian firm for failure to honour a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)signed with the host community.
Contacted on the issue, Commander of the military Joint Task Force (ITF) Brig. Gen. Alfred Ilogho confirmed the incident saying he has deployed some troops to Ekeremor community to investigate the kidnap.
LAGOS, Nigeria — Militants in Nigeria are planning a major wave of attacks and kidnappings in the next few days that could include up to 20 simultaneous bombings across the petroleum-rich south, U.S. diplomats warned Friday.
The warning came in an e-mailed statement sent to American citizens from the U.S. Consulate in Nigeria's main city, Lagos, and a U.S. diplomat confirmed plans for new attacks were believed to be under way.
"The U.S. government has learned that as of late October 2006, a militant Niger Delta group may have finalized its plans for a unified attack against oil facilities in the Niger Delta region," the statement said.
"The attacks allegedly will be carried out sometime during the first week of November and will include 10 to 20 simultaneous bombings of land-based targets and a series of separate attacks on oil installations in which expatriate workers will be taken hostage," the statement said without elaborating.
A diplomat at the U.S. Consulate in Lagos, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press about the issue, confirmed the threat was being taken seriously but had no other details.
The news helped push oil prices higher.
Light sweet crude for December delivery rose 47 cents to $58.35 a barrel in electronic trading Friday morning on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Since the beginning of this year, various militant groups in Nigeria have attacked oil pipelines and taken expatriate oil workers hostage in violence that has cut about 25 percent of the country's usual crude output of about 2.5 million barrels daily.
The militants say they are fighting on behalf of an impoverished population for a greater share of wealth from oil companies and the federal government, which apportions the revenues among Nigeria's 36 states.
Nigeria, Africa's oil giant, is the world's eighth-biggest oil exporter and fifth-biggest source of U.S. oil imports.
The latest kidnapping crisis occurred Thursday, when unidentified gunmen in speedboats seized a Briton and an American from an offshore oil-prospecting vessel belonging to Petroleum Geo-Services, an oil field services company based in Oslo, Norway, that was engaged by oil giant Chevron Corp. to survey the seabed for oil deposits.
Government emissaries made contact with the kidnappers Friday and said both hostages were in good health, said Joshua Benamesia, a security aide to Bayelsa State Gov. Goodluck Jonathan.
"We've made contact, and I can confirm the hostages are well," Benamesia said.
Benamesia said the gunmen claim to have acted on behalf of the Ezetu community living near Chevron's Funiwa platform to back demands for jobs and the building of a local hospital. He gave no further details.
The U.S. Consulate said the latest attack "indicates a continuation of the violence seen since earlier this year in the Niger Delta region."
It also advised U.S. citizens "to exercise caution in their daily activities, and to avoid travel to the Niger Delta region. Americans in the area should limit their travel, particularly at night, and should avoid public venues whenever possible."
The warning came in an e-mailed statement sent to American citizens from the U.S. Consulate in Nigeria's main city, Lagos, and a U.S. diplomat confirmed plans for new attacks were believed to be under way.
"The U.S. government has learned that as of late October 2006, a militant Niger Delta group may have finalized its plans for a unified attack against oil facilities in the Niger Delta region," the statement said.
"The attacks allegedly will be carried out sometime during the first week of November and will include 10 to 20 simultaneous bombings of land-based targets and a series of separate attacks on oil installations in which expatriate workers will be taken hostage," the statement said without elaborating.
A diplomat at the U.S. Consulate in Lagos, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press about the issue, confirmed the threat was being taken seriously but had no other details.
The news helped push oil prices higher.
Light sweet crude for December delivery rose 47 cents to $58.35 a barrel in electronic trading Friday morning on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Since the beginning of this year, various militant groups in Nigeria have attacked oil pipelines and taken expatriate oil workers hostage in violence that has cut about 25 percent of the country's usual crude output of about 2.5 million barrels daily.
The militants say they are fighting on behalf of an impoverished population for a greater share of wealth from oil companies and the federal government, which apportions the revenues among Nigeria's 36 states.
Nigeria, Africa's oil giant, is the world's eighth-biggest oil exporter and fifth-biggest source of U.S. oil imports.
The latest kidnapping crisis occurred Thursday, when unidentified gunmen in speedboats seized a Briton and an American from an offshore oil-prospecting vessel belonging to Petroleum Geo-Services, an oil field services company based in Oslo, Norway, that was engaged by oil giant Chevron Corp. to survey the seabed for oil deposits.
Government emissaries made contact with the kidnappers Friday and said both hostages were in good health, said Joshua Benamesia, a security aide to Bayelsa State Gov. Goodluck Jonathan.
"We've made contact, and I can confirm the hostages are well," Benamesia said.
Benamesia said the gunmen claim to have acted on behalf of the Ezetu community living near Chevron's Funiwa platform to back demands for jobs and the building of a local hospital. He gave no further details.
The U.S. Consulate said the latest attack "indicates a continuation of the violence seen since earlier this year in the Niger Delta region."
It also advised U.S. citizens "to exercise caution in their daily activities, and to avoid travel to the Niger Delta region. Americans in the area should limit their travel, particularly at night, and should avoid public venues whenever possible."
This particular hijacking seems somewhat overlooked. Rather sad for the people concerned.
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OK Stan,
Of course you're right. Unfortunately Nigerian governments over the decades have shown that they don't want change. Many of the problems here are of their own making and the oil finances only their own corrupt lifestyles at the expense of their people, to whom it really belongs. They covertly encourage many of the problems in order to gain political leverage.
I guess the helicopter companies here just take a leaf from that same book. They don't care about the safety of the staff, except where it affects their ability to keep on flying and making $$$$$ for them.
Of course you're right. Unfortunately Nigerian governments over the decades have shown that they don't want change. Many of the problems here are of their own making and the oil finances only their own corrupt lifestyles at the expense of their people, to whom it really belongs. They covertly encourage many of the problems in order to gain political leverage.
I guess the helicopter companies here just take a leaf from that same book. They don't care about the safety of the staff, except where it affects their ability to keep on flying and making $$$$$ for them.
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Our Future
The militants of the Niger Delta are fighting because the people of the Delta region are not reaping the benefits of the natural resources in their area. While I do not condone their methods of operation, there is no doubt that they have been pushed to the wall and all other forms of negotiations under succesive Governments have yeilded little or no results.
The people of Ogoni have for the past ten years, locked in billions of barrels of Crude Oil and are non the worse for it. As a matter of fact, with no more oil pollution of their rivers and farmlands and with no more pollution from gas flares and acrid smoke, they may just be better of.
So long as the people of the Niger Delta do not feel the effects of their oil wealth, they probably will continue to fight to shut down oil production facilities and strive to drive away the percieved exploiters and polluters. There are little or no passable roads in the Niger Delta. No electricity or pipe born water in most of the commuities outside of Portharcourt or Warri and Education in this areas is at an apologetical level. Health care is non existent.
How does all this affect us as Helicopter Pilots? If nothing is done now
by all tiers of Government and the Oil companies, oil exploration and exploitation in the Niger Delta may soon grind to a screeching halt (except maybe for deep water production). If it could happen in Ogoni land, it can happen in the rest of the Niger Delta. The future for the helicopter Pilot in the Niger Delta may be more bleek than many of us realise. Many of our Jobs may be at risk here.
The people of Ogoni have for the past ten years, locked in billions of barrels of Crude Oil and are non the worse for it. As a matter of fact, with no more oil pollution of their rivers and farmlands and with no more pollution from gas flares and acrid smoke, they may just be better of.
So long as the people of the Niger Delta do not feel the effects of their oil wealth, they probably will continue to fight to shut down oil production facilities and strive to drive away the percieved exploiters and polluters. There are little or no passable roads in the Niger Delta. No electricity or pipe born water in most of the commuities outside of Portharcourt or Warri and Education in this areas is at an apologetical level. Health care is non existent.
How does all this affect us as Helicopter Pilots? If nothing is done now
by all tiers of Government and the Oil companies, oil exploration and exploitation in the Niger Delta may soon grind to a screeching halt (except maybe for deep water production). If it could happen in Ogoni land, it can happen in the rest of the Niger Delta. The future for the helicopter Pilot in the Niger Delta may be more bleek than many of us realise. Many of our Jobs may be at risk here.
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YENAGOA, Nigeria (AP) -- Kidnappers in Nigeria on Tuesday released an American and a Briton seized by gunmen in speedboats last week from a vessel off this country's oil-rich southern coast, a government official said.
The two men taken hostage Thursday were freed and transported by authorities to Yenagoa, capital of Bayelsa State, said Ekiyor Welson, spokesman for the local state government.
"They have been released today. They're already in Yenagoa," Welson said Monday by telephone from the state capital, giving no other details.
The foreigners were taken from a boat belonging to Norwegian firm Petroleum Geo-Services, which was working with oil giant Chevron Corp. to map the seabed for potential petroleum deposits.
The company said the rest of its crew aboard the ship were unharmed in the incident. There was no claim of responsibility.
The two men taken hostage Thursday were freed and transported by authorities to Yenagoa, capital of Bayelsa State, said Ekiyor Welson, spokesman for the local state government.
"They have been released today. They're already in Yenagoa," Welson said Monday by telephone from the state capital, giving no other details.
The foreigners were taken from a boat belonging to Norwegian firm Petroleum Geo-Services, which was working with oil giant Chevron Corp. to map the seabed for potential petroleum deposits.
The company said the rest of its crew aboard the ship were unharmed in the incident. There was no claim of responsibility.
Good news!
Nigerian In Law
Don't Hold Your Breath ?!!
Tokunbo,
The jury is out on the "package". 6/6 is a reality but it will be phased in operation by operation to avoid crewing problems and roster turbulence.
The rest is under discussion at Woodlands. The big bosses are trying to get a deal that will redress the imbalance, be attractive enough to stem the flow of people to either CHC or (at the moment) GOM as PHI strike breakers and get people to apply.
A tall order, but if they want to stay in business here they'll have to practice that phrase Americans invented: Speculate To Accumulate !! Watch this space.............
Cheers,
NEO
The jury is out on the "package". 6/6 is a reality but it will be phased in operation by operation to avoid crewing problems and roster turbulence.
The rest is under discussion at Woodlands. The big bosses are trying to get a deal that will redress the imbalance, be attractive enough to stem the flow of people to either CHC or (at the moment) GOM as PHI strike breakers and get people to apply.
A tall order, but if they want to stay in business here they'll have to practice that phrase Americans invented: Speculate To Accumulate !! Watch this space.............
Cheers,
NEO
I Try To Be Good !!
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Too Little Too Late ??
In Eket we're living in a "temporary" hotel which has no real security to speak of. Everyone knows it's the Bristow hotel !!
I suppose everyone has a price but things are getting very close to the limit for a lot of people here. Bring on the deal................ but it'd better be good or they'll be looking for the light switch as this place closes down.
I suppose everyone has a price but things are getting very close to the limit for a lot of people here. Bring on the deal................ but it'd better be good or they'll be looking for the light switch as this place closes down.
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Update on BHU
It's all unconfirmed, but BHU was flying from Lagos to PH and called Osubi tower saying it was diverting to WT due weather, then nothing.
After there was information that they (1 expat, 3 Nigerians) where taken to a hospital by the local comunity, without any further details.
Hope they are OK.
After there was information that they (1 expat, 3 Nigerians) where taken to a hospital by the local comunity, without any further details.
Hope they are OK.
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5N-BHU crashed into HT power cables near Delta steel. The top of the cabin roof was ripped off and the pilot died. The weather was bad at the time and the cables are between 100 - 150 feet agl there. The aircraft was owned by a Nigerian company, OAS, based in Maryland, Lagos.
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Nigeria's oil workers threaten strike to protest insecurity
Sat Nov 11, 6:05 PM ET
ABUJA (AFP) - Oil workers in Nigeria threatened to resume a strike they called off after two days in September, accusing the government of reneging on the promises it made to them two months ago.
Officials of the country's two oil workers' unions Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) met in the federal capital and threatened to resume industrial action.
In a statement, they warned that "failure to comply with the implementation of the communique signed (in September) with various stakeholders" would "precipitate" the start of a second phase of industrial action in the oil sector.
But PENGASSAN president Peter Esele said no date had been fixed for the new strike.
The two unions embarked on a three-day "warning strike" on September 13 to protest what they described as heightened insecurity, and frequent abductions and killings taking place in the oil-rich Niger Delta area.
They called off that strike on day two after the government undertook to convene a forum to address the issues they were protesting.
Saturday's statement said the workers consider the government's "lukewarm attitude" towards the convening of the security forum to be "unacceptable."
It also slammed the government for failing to set up a commission of inquiry into the killing of one union member and other community youth leaders in the Niger Delta region shortly before the warning strike in September.
The statement further urged the government to drop any plans it might have to sell off the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemicals Company, warning that such a plan would "jeopardize our national interest."
Sat Nov 11, 6:05 PM ET
ABUJA (AFP) - Oil workers in Nigeria threatened to resume a strike they called off after two days in September, accusing the government of reneging on the promises it made to them two months ago.
Officials of the country's two oil workers' unions Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) met in the federal capital and threatened to resume industrial action.
In a statement, they warned that "failure to comply with the implementation of the communique signed (in September) with various stakeholders" would "precipitate" the start of a second phase of industrial action in the oil sector.
But PENGASSAN president Peter Esele said no date had been fixed for the new strike.
The two unions embarked on a three-day "warning strike" on September 13 to protest what they described as heightened insecurity, and frequent abductions and killings taking place in the oil-rich Niger Delta area.
They called off that strike on day two after the government undertook to convene a forum to address the issues they were protesting.
Saturday's statement said the workers consider the government's "lukewarm attitude" towards the convening of the security forum to be "unacceptable."
It also slammed the government for failing to set up a commission of inquiry into the killing of one union member and other community youth leaders in the Niger Delta region shortly before the warning strike in September.
The statement further urged the government to drop any plans it might have to sell off the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemicals Company, warning that such a plan would "jeopardize our national interest."