Mohammed Shosanya
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN),says military and other security agencies allegedly hired by Dutchford E&P, Selective Marine Services and its Labour Contractors to assault oil and gas workers at the Oritsetimeyin Oil and Gas Rig must face the music.
Specifically,the union said the perpetrators must be held accountable for their actions under both national and international law.
Its President,Comrade Festus Osifo, and the General Secretary,Comrade Lumumba Okugbama,conveyed this in a press statement,wherein they also demanded a full and transparent investigation into this incident, leading to the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible for ordering and carrying out the brutal assault on the workers.
Besides,PENGASAN sought a guarantee of the safety and security of all oil and gas workers on the rigs, and a commitment from the relevant authorities to uphold the rights of workers and engage in peaceful conflict resolution.
The statement added:”PENGASSAN will not sit idly while such egregious human rights violations occur. We will utilise all available avenues to ensure justice for the members and to prevent any future reoccurrence.
“We call on all concerned citizens, human rights organisations, and international bodies to join us in condemning this violence and demanding accountability, as silence in the face of such brutality is complicity”.
Condemning the act,the union said it negates the tenets of the Nigerian constitution and all extant laws governing the operations in the nation’s oil and gas sector.
The union warns that if the reports indicate that oil and gas workers are violently ejected from the rig any date soon, PENGASSAN will deploy every means to frustrate such moves; as the act represents a grave violation of human rights and known labour conventions.
It added:”The use of military actions against unarmed workers is completely unjustifiable and disproportionate because, it is the Nigerian workers who have been subjugated to unfair workplace policies, including being paid meager wages while working in a hazardous environment that should be the complainant.
“While we understand and commend the workers for their professional disposition to keep the oil rigs flowing, the response of deploying the military to violently remove them is unacceptable and demonstrates a complete disregard for human life and the rule of law.
“The use of such force against unarmed civilians engaged in legitimate work is abhorrent and cannot be tolerated”.