Union to picket Lagos government over N224m debt

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) on Sunday said the union was set to picket Lagos State Government (LASG) on Jan. 19 over non-payment of N224 million debt.

Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, the South-West Chairman of the union, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Korodo alleged that the N224 million was for payment for the supply of diesel and kerosene to the state government for execution of direct labour projects in Ojodu between October 2014 and May 2015.

The chairman said the contract was financed by Skye Bank and the bank had been asking for repayment of the loan.

He said that the union had written to the state government on the picketing but regretted that the government was yet to respond.

Korodo, however, said that NUPENG had also formally informed the Department of State Security (DSS) and Commissioner of Police on their proposed action.

``We are picketing Lagos State Secretariat come Jan. 19, for their indebtedness to our members to the tune of N224 million without interest.

``The union was given contract to supply diesel and kerosene by the former Gov. Raji Fashola for Lagos State Public Works through direct labour between October 2014 and May 2015.

``We have since fulfilled our part of the contract and have appealed to the state government to pay us our money.

``We borrowed money from Syke Bank to finance the project and the bank had been on our neck to pay back the money.

``We have written several letters to Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode to pay the debt but there was no response from him.

``Consequently, over 1,000 tankers shall be used by NUPENG members as a means of transportation to the Governor’s Office and State Assembly.

``If this failed, scarcity of fuel may resurface in Lagos state in particular.

``We are pleading with Lagosians to assist us to prevail on our Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode to respect the business agreement," he said.

Korodo, however, said that if the state government continue to be silent over the matter after the picketing, the union would be left with no option than to embark on indefinite strike.

``If we are provoked further, we will down tools because injury to one member is injury to all members," he said