NUPENG urges oil firms to protect workers at flow stations

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers on Tuesday advised oil companies to ensure the protection of flow stations for safety of workers.

The union made the call in a statement by Mr Igwe Achese, the President of NUPENG, which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

The statement said that flow stations should be adequately protected by the military Joint Task Force (JTF), so that oil workers would feel safe to work both day and night.

The statement condemned the killing of one of the workers, Mr Austin Igwe, killed at a flow station in Bayelsa, due to security lapses.

It said the union was worried because over 100 workers always performed functions at a flow stations at any point in time.

According to the statement, the workers need adequate security to make the work place safe.

It urged law enforcement agencies to spread their dragnets and bring the culprits to book.

“The killing of the oil worker another death, too many.

“Oil workers toil day and night to produce the hydrocarbon which is the mainstay of the economy.

“The workers should not be exposed to such dangers, due to security lapses, in spite of the hazards of their jobs.”

It described Igwe’s death as unfortunate, in spite of the presence of the JTF Operation Pulo Shield at the flow station.

The statement called for investigation into how the gunmen gained access to the flow station and killed the oil worker.

It said the nation’s oil installations should be equipped with modern gadgets that would keep the military guards at alert, instead of being taken unawares.

The union told the management of Shell to give adequate compensation to family of the dead worker and also provide insurance to other workers at oil installations.