Agip Staff ask FG, NASS to halt sale of firm to Oando

.. Shutdown Operations in Port Harcourt in Protest

By Emmanuel Nlewedum, Port Harcourt

Staff of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) have asked the Federal Executive Council, the National Assembly and regulatory bodies to halt the acquisition of the Company’s facilities by Oando Plc.

The workers, while protesting the proclaimed acquisition of the company and takeover by Oanda in Port Harcourt blocking access to Agip on Friday, feared that if the transaction is allowed to be concluded, over 3,000 staffers would be rendered jobless.

Speaking on behalf of the protesting staff, Chairman of the company’s chapter of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Eyong Survival, alleged that the acquisition process contravenes known labour laws.

Mr. Survival listed the affected facilities in the acquisition process are the Oil Mining Leases in Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Imo states.

He said while they wait for good reasoning from the company and the stakeholders, the staff has withdrawn services in all the facilities run by Agip.

He noted that the effect of their withdrawal is already being felt as gas supplies have been cut from critical infrastructures and towns.

He demanded that if the transaction must be allowed to be concluded, the staff must be given special severance packages and those entitled to be transferred to the new owner, must be allowed to do so without difficulty.

Recalled that Oando Plc had announced via a statement that it reached an agreement with ENI to purchase 100% of Nigerian Agip Oil Company’s shares in the company.

This transaction, however, is still subject to ministerial approval, and other extant regulatory approvals.