The 22 oil workers arrested
by officials of Rivers Government on Sunday morning regained their freedom Elekahia
Stadium where they were detained, allaying fears of shutdown by oil workers by
midnight.
The oil workers, 20
men and two women were on Thursday arrested at Akwa Ibom-Rivers border for
breach of the lockdown order imposed by Rivers Governor to check further spread
of the COVID-19 virus.
They were heading to
an oil facility in Bonny operated by Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPN), a
subsidiary of US energy firm, ExxonMobil.
They were subsequently
taken to a stadium where they were detained awaiting arraignment.
Mr Lumumba Okugwagba Secretary
General, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria
(PENGASSAN) confirmed the development in a telephone interview n Sunday
morning.
Okugwagba noted that
PENGASSAN frowned at the detention and inhuman treatment meted to the oil
workers rendering essential services and issued an ultimatum to shut down the
oil industry if their members were not freed.
“We have information
that our members have been freed and they are on their way out of the stadium,
but we are monitoring their movement.
“These oil workers are
Nigerians and the way they were treated and detained in a stadium is not decent
at all, remember there are two women amongst them and you know the trauma they
have gone through since Thursday.
“The union had given a
notice of shutdown by midnight of Sunday if the workers were not released, we
do not understand why they should by held when the Federal Government says the
oil industry is exempt from the lockdown.
“The attorney General
of Rivers just addressed them. He says
the case against them has been dropped, they are no longer going to court and
they should leave.
“The convoy is about
to leave the stadium now,” He said
The resolution of the
issue has doused fears of an industrial dispute over threats by the oil
industry workers union to shut down the oil and industry
When contacted, Mr
Ogechi Udeagha, Manager in charge of Public and Government Affairs , MPN said
that the oil firm had no comments on the development at this time
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