Date: 2013-01-16

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has advised Nigerians to brace up for the worst fuel scarcity ever in the country, noting that the situation might linger till March.

This is just as the union criticised the recent vandalisation of oil pipeline in Arepo, Ogun State, which left some people dead when it exploded, noting that the arrested vandals should be treated as economic saboteurs and made to face the wrath of the law.

The union also called for a 24-hour surveillance of oil pipelines across the country.

Blaming the government for being the brain behind the fuel scarcity, the labour movement said no oil cartel could survive in any economy without the knowledge of the government.

NUPENG made these submissions in a statement by its acting general secretary, Isaac Aberare, while it called on the anti-pipeline vandalisation squad in the office of the Inspector General of Police to be alive to its responsibility, by monitoring System 2B area, which carries fuel from the Atlas Cove to Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo and Kwara states.

According to the oil workers "we call for a 24-hour surveillance of the Arepo end, as the swampy area should be cleared, so that there will be visibility, instead of the present bushy environment, where the pipelines traverse."

Disturbed by the persistent fuel scarcity in the country, the national president of NUPENG, Igwe Achese, said "those who are responsible for the hike and scarcity of fuel should be held responsible. The government should be able to monitor those handling the sector."

The statement said the Arepo incident must not be allowed to happen again, just as it called on security agencies to liaise with the host community leaders and vigilance groups to nib further assault on the pipelines in the bud.

It called for the establishment of pipelines protection agency which would be saddled with the responsibility of manning, protecting and providing security for the over 5,150 kilometres stretch of oil pipelines in the country.