The Benue State Government has appealed to the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers to suspend its three-day warning strike and restore the sale of Premium Motor Spirit across the state.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday in Makurdi, the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Deborah Aber, described the industrial action as unnecessary, stating that discussions between the union and the government were still ongoing.
The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the strike, jointly undertaken by NUPENG, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria and the National Association of Road Transport Owners, has led to a total shutdown of fuel stations in Benue State.
According to Mrs. Aber, the union had earlier written to the state government demanding compensation of over N40 million for a PMS tanker that was vandalized in Aliade in 2022.
“In the letter, they were asking for payment for their 45,000 litres of PMS they lost through the activities of vandals in 2022 at Aliade,” Aber said.
She further disclosed that the government, upon receiving the letter, contacted security agencies including the police and the Department of State Services to get a comprehensive account of the incident.
“We needed to sit down and look at the whole scenario and how it played out. To us, it seemed like a straightforward case of theft and vandalism, with no government involvement,” she said.
The SSG emphasized that the state viewed the matter as a criminal act, stressing that there was no indication of government complicity in the events of 2022.
“We have held several meetings with them. Surprisingly, we woke up today to find that the stations were locked. The government too is surprised because we are still at the discussion table.
“When we received the letter, we wrote to the police and DSS to furnish us with what happened that time.
“In the letter they were claiming payment of over N40m for the loss of their goods in 2022,” she added.
Government investigations, according to Aber, confirmed that the unions initiated the strike to demand reimbursement for the 45,000 litres of fuel allegedly stolen by hoodlums from a parked tanker in Aliade, Gwer-East Local Government Area.
As of press time, attempts by NAN to obtain comments from officials of the unions involved in the strike had been unsuccessful.
