Protesting DESOPADEC staff vow to petition Okowa

As the ongoing protests by staff of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC enters day four, Thursday January 12, the commission’s staff have vowed to petition Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa to ensure their demands are met.

The demands include: Payment of Outstanding Promotion Arrears, Implementation of Staff Pension Scheme, Implementation of Staff Medicals, Regular Payment of Staff Salary, immediate payment of 2016 Staff Annual Leave, Non victimization of staffers involved in the protests as well as Implementation of all other Staff Benefits as specified in the condition of service.

Our Oil and Gas Correspondent who covered the workers protest at the Atuwatse Primary School along Esisi Road in Warri in the early hours of today, Thursday January 12, reports that a few of the protesters who spoke on condition of anonymity stated that one of the reasons they embarked on the protests is the “removal of the statutory end of year bonus by the commission’s management”.

According to them, every ethnic Nationality of the oil producing areas that make up DESOPADEC “wrote a letter dated 20th December, 2016, informing management of the commission of the need to ensure the payment of end of year bonus (13^th month) to avoid breakdown of law and order, but it was completely ignored”.

The workers, who have vowed to take their protests to traditional rulers of ethnic Nationality that make up DESOPADEC, equally contacted the Police Area Command Office in Warri as well as the Delta State Commissioner of Police.

Some of the protesting DESOPADEC staff at Atuwatse Primary School during day four of the protest

Meanwhile, in a press statement released Wednesday January 11 by the Managing Director of DESOPADEC, Olorogun Williams Makinde, the commission noted that it was “already in dialogue with representatives of the protesting staff even though they remained adamant”.

While noting “that the crippling of oil production in the State consequently affects the resources which accrues to DESOPADEC, but management remain committed to regular payment of salary and allowances”, the DESOPADEC MD stressed that “leave allowances for the year 2016 is being processed and shall be paid shortly and all staff salaries up to December 2016 have been paid”.

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