From Dickson Pat In Port Harcourt
Contract workers at the Port Harcourt Refinery have staged a protest over the prolonged non-payment of salaries, amid the continued non-functionality of the refinery facilities.
The aggrieved workers, who said they are owed nearly one year’s wages, threatened to occupy the refinery for seven days if their outstanding entitlements are not paid.
Protesters, comprising cleaners, gardeners, water suppliers, security personnel, drivers, media aides and community-based contractors, blocked the main entrance of the Port Harcourt Refinery since Monday, disrupting access to the facility.
Findings showed that many of the affected workers, including graduates, are engaged through third-party contractors rather than directly by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL. Under the engagement arrangement, contractors are required to pay workers upfront for about three months, pending reimbursement by refinery management.
However, the workers alleged that reimbursements have been significantly delayed, leaving some contractors unable to continue salary payments. While a few contractors reportedly sustained payments from personal funds, others were constrained by prevailing economic conditions.
The protesters blamed the situation on the Port Harcourt Refinery Coordinator, Mr. Bayo Adenrele, and called for his immediate removal, accusing refinery management of insensitivity and mismanagement.
One of the protesters, ThankGod Friday, said the immediate trigger for the protest was the non-payment of transport contractors, which affected workers’ ability to report for duty.
“The bus contractors who convey workers have not been paid. Their contract ended Saturday, January 31, and by Monday, many workers could not come to work because there was no transportation. That was when we decided to protest and draw government attention to our suffering”, he said.
The protesters accused refinery management of insensitivity, alleging mismanagement and calling for urgent intervention and payment of outstanding salaries.
The workers called for urgent intervention by the Federal Government and the immediate settlement of all outstanding salaries, warning that failure to act could escalate the protest.
Also speaking during the protest, Mr. Tony Obari, Chairman of the Joint Venture Recovery Committee, JVRC, Eleme, lamented what he described as a lack of concern for workers’ welfare and stalled operations at the refinery.
“Area Five was working at some point but was stopped, and nothing has come up since then. Meanwhile, products are brought in for us to buy at very high costs. Service providers are also owed, and some projects have stalled due to non-release of funds”, Obari said.
As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official response from the NNPCL or refinery management on the protest or the allegations raised by the workers.
