Strike: FG, NUPENG hold talks today

From JULIANA TAIWO-OBALONYE, Abuja

The Federal Government yesterday moved to avert the strike, which the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) planned to begin nationwide today.
NUPENG President, Igwe Achese, told newsmen yesterday that the union leadership had been invited for a meeting in Lagos today to discuss the issue of outstanding subsidy payments to the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and private depot owners.
Meanwhile, as the resolution of the impasse between the Federal Government and fuel marketers was being awaited, fuel scarcity is biting harder in the nation’s capital city, Abuja.
Some filling stations on Keffi-Abuja Expressway were in brisk business yesterday selling to motorists, motorcyclists and those carrying jerrycans.
Policemen too joined in making brisk business by escorting vehicles belonging to organisations like the UN, businessmen and politicians for a fee.
Daily Sun witnessed a fight between the workers of a filling station at One Man Village and a policeman who had repeatedly accompanied vehicles to the station but was not making returns.
When one of the boys challenged him when he came with yet another car, he tried to threaten them that he got the waver from their boss.
When he saw that he was losing the argument, he had to change strategy, pleaded and got the fuel 30 minutes later.
The station was selling for N120 per litre but despite the queue being very short motorists waited for hours before they could buy petrol while those with extra cash to bribe had to shunt and go through the exit gate to buy fuel.
Those that contributed to the delay of those on the queue were those buying in jerrycans to re-sell across the road at prices ranging from N3,000 per 10 litre can to N4,000.
To pay through the special gate to shunt, the fee was from N500, depending on who approached you.
But they all claimed to be working on orders of the station manager.
A motorist driving a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) or one of the top of the range cars, would be approached to be given the special treatment but if such gesture was ignored or rejected, after a while, a big used tyre would be dropped in front of the vehicle to prevent it from moving further.
The motorist would either beg or fight his way through.
At other filling stations along the same Abuja-Keffi Road around Masaka, for instance, some were selling for N145 and N150 per litre while the only station selling at N97 per litre, AA Rano, had part of the road blocked by motorists, thereby frustrating other road users, particularly travellers.