Joseph Kingston
Economic activities in Calabar metropolis and environs were brought to a standstill on Monday as a result of a protest strike embarked upon by Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas workers (NUPENG) over relocation of tank farm by the Cross River state government.
Our Correspondent who went round the ancient city for on-the-spot assessment reports that long queues were seen in few available filling stations, most of which sold a litre of fuel at N150. ‘Black marketers’ had a field day, selling theirs at N250 per litre. With this, taxi fare increased by 100 percent, jumping from N50 to N100.
Huge crowd of commuters strove to board few available cabs to work while many more were stranded for hours looking for vehicles to convey them to one business activity or the other.
Speaking, a tanker driver, who gave his name as Musa Isa, accused the Cross River state government of insincerity and blamed it for reneging on earlier promise to relocate them to a place after eight miles, Ikot Omin, which, he said, “is closer to the town centre a bit.”
But, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Projects, Hon Fabian Ogba, disagreed.
In a telephone chat with our reporter, he said government had complained about indiscriminate packing of tankers and destruction of the state ‘greeneries’, and that “NUPENG approached government for land to build their own park.”
He said: “Government magnanimously gave them a place at the Murtala Muhammed Highway, eight miles, but it was later discovered that that place was already earmarked for another project so the commissioner in charge pleaded with them to exercise patience as another place close to Odukpani which is just few kilometers from Calabar city will be prepared and handed over to them very soon.
“My problem with NUPENG is that they call for strike for any slightest perceived provocation. Last time, they called for a strike just because the Calabar – Itu – Ikot Ekpene- Aba highway is bad. This road is a federal government road. Imagine NUPENG calling for strike only for Cross River to frustrate efforts of government economically over condition of a federal government road. They should know that these incessant strikes are not good for democracy, not good for our economy and not good for anybody.”
Okpa, however, said government was talking with NUPENG to change their stand, and believed that very soon the strike would be called off.
