News
Support Staff Embark On Strike, Shutdown Warri Refinery Over Poor Condition Of Service
Published
4 months agoon
By
Editor
Protesting support staff of the Warri Refining & Petrochemical Company (WRPC) in Delta State have embarked on an indefinite strike, shutting down the facility over what they have termed “Poor Condition of Service” by the management of the company.
The staff, who gathered in large numbers, blocked the entrance to the company.
The peaceful protesters, chanting solidarity songs while bearing placards with various inscriptions, also demanded an adjustment to their welfare, which they described as “workplace slavery.”
They vowed to remain at the gate until their demands are met.
The leader of the support staff (WRPC), Dafe Ighomiteso, who spoke on behalf of the protesters, said that the support staff make up 80% of the entire workforce of Warri Refinery. “It’s sad to note that we are here protesting against workplace slavery,” he said.
READ ALSO: Warri Refinery Undergoes Maintenance One Month After Resuming Operation
Ighomiteso mentioned that they have been protesting since 2015, pointing out, “We have a compendium, the workplace. It’s a five-page document which we promised to make available to the public after this briefing.”
According to Ighomiteso, “We’ve been agitating for a single item (good condition of service).”
He said the cleaners who work in the hazardous facility only recently started receiving thirty-four thousand, five hundred naira (#34,500) as their monthly salary.
“For the support staff, the engineers, the technicians, and every technocrat here, only recently, we started receiving ninety thousand naira (#90,000), and the highest is #165,000.”
“We don’t have insurance coverage. None of us here have medical allowance. We are not pensionable. We don’t have transport allowance, we don’t have housing allowance. We don’t have meal allowance, and we are saying here that we are not slaves.”
READ ALSO:Warri Catholic Bishop Suspends Priest For Getting Married
Ighomiteso added that some of the support staff have been working there for about eighteen (18) years.
“We are not asking that we should be paid what they’re paying their staff, but we are saying that what’s commensurate to the support staff of all the SBUs and CSUs of NNPC should be considered, especially in the oil and gas industry. We are supposed to be protesting against casualization, but it’s unfortunate that nobody wants to cry for us. Even the nation forbids casualization, but nobody is speaking for us.”
The support staff pledged their unwavering support for the mandate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration in ensuring that the refineries in the country are revived.
Another protester, Innocent Ileleji, a cleaner/gardener, corroborated Ighomiteso’s position, saying, “We are being paid thirty-four thousand, five hundred (#34,500) naira.” He added that all they wanted was a review of their salary, which they were promised in 2013.
READ ALSO: Warri Refinery Undergoes Maintenance One Month After Resuming Operation
Ileleji noted that some of them, cleaners/gardeners, are being owed their meager salaries, which cannot take care of their families. He stressed, “The amount they’re paying us is far too small. Management should look into it.”
Elohor Poko, a support staff member who also spoke with our correspondent, said their salaries are very, very poor. She called on the General Chief Officer (GCO) to look into the matter and consider their plight by taking positive actions to improve their welfare.
A source within WRPC, who wished to remain anonymous, said that all the components of the plant are down due to ongoing maintenance.
It was noted that only the Turbine Unit of the plant is working, just to keep hope alive in the facility.
He also mentioned that the refinery is 60% completed.
All efforts to get the management of WRPC to speak on the matter were unsuccessful, as they refused to comment on the issue.
(Daily Post)
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News
Sanwo-Olu makes U-turn, Unblocks Lawyer Who Sued Him Over Blocking On X
Published
3 hours agoon
September 13, 2025By
Editor
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has unblocked human rights lawyer, Festus Ogun, on X after a meeting with him at Lagos House, Marina, on Friday.
The lawyer, who had accused the governor of rights violations, announced the development in a post on his X account on Saturday.
According to him, Sanwo-Olu personally invited him for a brief meeting to address his complaints.
“Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has unblocked me on X (Twitter). I met briefly with him yesterday at Lagos House Marina, on his invitation, to amicably resolve my complaint of human rights violations. We will continue to hold authorities accountable, regardless. Aluta continua!” Ogun wrote.
READ ALSO:Lawyer Sues Sanwo-Olu For Blocking Him On X
Tribune Online reports that Ogun had earlier filed a suit against Sanwo-Olu at a Federal High Court in Lagos, accusing him of violating his fundamental rights by blocking him on his verified X account.
In the suit marked FHC/L/CS/1739/25, which he shared on Facebook, the lawyer claimed the governor blocked him over his 2021 “constructive criticisms” and “demand for accountability” on the October 2020 #EndSARS killings.
“In 2021, I noticed that the Governor blocked me on his official X handle @jidesanwoolu owing to my constructive criticisms of his policies and demand for accountability in respect of the October 2020 #EndSARS Massacre.”
READ ALSO:‘Court Of Corruption’ — Obasanjo Knocks INEC Chairman, Judiciary In New Book
Ogun said the action has prevented him from accessing vital government updates and information.
“Blocking me on X has prevented me from accessing public updates and receiving information about policies and governance in Lagos, which constitutes a violation of my right to receive information without interference,” he said.
In his originating summons, he asked the court to declare the move unconstitutional, arbitrary, and discriminatory.
News
Tragedy Deepens As Prime Suspect in Taraba Student’s Death Found Dead
Published
3 hours agoon
September 13, 2025By
Editor
The investigation into the death of Comfort Jimtop, a 100-level Mass Communication student at Taraba State University, has taken a dramatic turn following the discovery of the lifeless body of Emmanuel Kefas, the prime suspect in the case.
Kefas’s body was discovered on Friday in the Tudiri community, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area, under unclear circumstances, intensifying public concern and adding a tragic dimension to a case that has already gripped the university community and residents across Taraba State.
Confirming the development on Saturday, the spokesperson for the Taraba State Police Command, James Lashen, said the police received a report from the village head of Tudiri about the discovery.
READ ALSO:Army Kills Notorious Bandit, Babangida, In Kogi
“A lifeless body was found in Tudiri, and a Tecno Android phone was recovered beside it,” Lashen stated.
“Upon charging the phone, investigators found a photograph showing the deceased with the late Comfort Jimtop, suggesting they were in a romantic relationship.”
Lashen added that the body has been taken to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Jalingo for autopsy. At the same time, efforts are ongoing to officially identify the remains through the suspect’s family.
READ ALSO:Four Feared Killed As Gunmen Attack Burial Ceremony In Anambra
Police have yet to determine whether Kefas’s death was the result of suicide, homicide, or an accident. Investigations into both deaths are continuing.
Comfort Jimtop’s mysterious death had earlier sparked outrage on campus and across the state, with students and rights groups demanding justice. Kefas was named a prime suspect in the case, which remains open.
This latest development has left many unanswered questions and deepened the grief surrounding the case.
Students, residents, and civil society groups are closely monitoring the situation, calling on authorities to ensure a thorough investigation and bring clarity to the tragic chain of events.
News
Ossiomo, Chinese Impasse: This Is Our Story — Management
Published
6 hours agoon
September 13, 2025By
Editor
The management of Ossiomo Power Plant has cleared the air on the dispute between its Chinese partners and the circumstances surrounding the shutting down of the power plant early this month.
Representative of Ossiomo management, Engineer Festus Evbuomwan, during an interactive session with customers on the impasse between the two partners, said contrary to the rumour making the rounds, the management of Ossiomo Power Plant had paid over ₦2bn to its Chinese partner — Jiangsu Communication Clean Energy Technology (CCETC) — since the power plant started operation.
Recall that representative of CCETC who identified himself as Mr. ‘W’ had, during a telephone phone interview two weeks ago, claimed that “instruction to shutdown was because we lost lots of money and did not get any return on investment,” adding that “all the $20m investment was done by us including the distribution lines.”
But Evbuomwan during the interactive session, said the management was not aware of the $20m investment the Chinese partner claimed, just as he disclosed that “when they generate power, we sell and pay them.”
READ ALSO:Edo Govt Denies Shares As Ownership Tussle Rocks Ossiomo Power
He disclosed that after shutting down the power plant, the Chinese partners came up with a request of ₦185m to be paid to two Chinese not known to the management, stressing that this was declined.
According to him, the Chinese partner, having seen how lucrative the business is, “went to some quarters and raised some issues probably thinking they can manoeuvre us with the help of some big persons, so that they can use their machines to generate power and sideline us but this is not possible.”
“The Chinese partners also claimed that they borrowed $20m from their native land to invest, we are not aware of such investment, and we do not know where the money was invested up till now.
“They have been also saying they have not been receiving anything, but I want to tell you unequivocally that first, the partners run a joint account where their investment is going into. More so, The Chinese partners have received over ₦2bn so far for the power they generate with their machines. When they generate the power, we sell and pay them.”
READ ALSO: Five Years After, Edo Govt Reconnects To BEDC As Ossiomo Shut Down
Engr. Evbuomwan, while apologising to customers for the power outage caused by the dispute between the two partners, said Ossiomo had started power generation though not in full capacity, assuring that power generation would be fully restored soon.
“We have purchased turbines, and one have started working. They are working on the second one, so, by the time our five turbines start working we will be in full capacity. Even with that, those connected to the government may not be reached immediately. This is because the government bought the poles and contracted the wiring, and we cannot force the government to do our bid. Also, we are making efforts to site 33kva transformer along Airport Road and Lagos Road as soon as possible, so that our customers there will get power.”
He said the Edo State government does not have a stake in the company, just as he appealed to the “government to let us supply power to customers in through their Lines. I want to emphasise that Ossiomo is not completely shut down.”
He further urged the “government to encourage the Nigerian citizens to invest and not to work against local investors.”
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