PENGASSAN Wants Justice For Oil Workers Assaulted By Military Personnel

 LAGOS – Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGAS­SAN), has called on rele­vant authorities to commence a full and transparent investigation and immediate arrest and prose­cution of the military and secu­rity personnel 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

The oil workers association also said the perpetrators must be held accountable for their actions under both national and interna­tional law.

Comrade Festus Osifo, PEN­GASSAN President and the Gener­al Secretary, Comrade Lumumba Okugbama, in a statement made available to Daily Independent, specifically demanded a full and transparent investigation into the sad incident , and therefore, called for the immediate arrest and pros­ecution of those responsible for ordering and carrying out the bru­tal assault on the workers.

Part of the statement called for 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.

“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”, the association said

While condemnly the act, the association noted that the ac­tions also negates the tenets of the Nigerian constitution and all extant laws governing the oper­ations in the nation’s oil and gas sector.

The association cautioned 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.

”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”.