Major and Independent Petroleum Marketers resumed loading of petroleum products at Ejigbo depot, Lagos State and Mosimi depot, in Ogun State late on Sunday night.
Business activities at some oil depots visited by reporters have picked up as most small scale business operators, especially food vendors, were recording high patronage.
Some of the food vendors at the depots commended the stakeholders for the quick resolution of issues, stressing that the re-opening of the depots had provided hope for a lot of families that make a living from restaurants.
Aside from food vendors, the two Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN) officials at the depots said their members suffered major losses in their business in the two states.
Alhaji Dele Tajudeen, Chairman, IPMAN, Mosinmi depot, lauded the union’s initiative in calling off the five days strike.
Tajudeen said that most marketers within Ogun State found it difficult during the strike to load petroleum products from private depots in Lagos.
According to him, the problem of the marketers during the strike revolved around unwholesome demands and practices by private depot operators.
“The common Nigerians on the street always suffer the heat whenever there is strike; we are at liberty to load at private depots.
“Whatever action and inaction the parties are taking, they should always consider the general masses.
“Nigeria has lost billions of Naira due to the shutdown of depots, refineries and other oil servicing companies,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr Ajayi Adebayo, Chairman, IPMAN, Ejigbo depot urged Federal Government and the unions to always consider the Nigerian masses when considering most national contentious issues.
Adebayo said that marketers operating within the depot lost unspecified millions of Naira due to the five-day strike.
“Now that business activities have picked up here, we hope that both parties will learn from the past occurrence and guard against the same situation in the future,” he said.
NAN recalls that the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), on Friday night suspended their five-day old strike.
The suspension was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a meeting with the Minister of Petroleum, Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke and the Management of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
The oil workers had on Monday ordered their members to embark on indefinite strike in protest against NNPC’s alleged refusal to address unresolved pension issues concerning workers in the oil industry
The communiqué, which was read by NUPENG President, Mr Achese Igwe, was signed by PENGASSAN President, Mr Francis Johnson, and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Dr Jamila Shu’ara.
Others who signed the communiqué include NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr Joseph Dawha; Group Chairman, NNPC PENGASSAN, Mr Abdulhakim Sanusi; Group Chairman NNPC NUPENG, Mr Richard Otovwievwiere and Chairman, Department of Petroleum Resources PENGASSAN, Mr Anba Ndoma-Egba.
Igwe said the industrial action was suspended after the intervention of the Minister of Petroleum Resources.
“By virtue of the intervention of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, the strike embarked upon by NUPENG and PENGASSAN of the NNPC Group Executive Councils and DPR, is hereby suspended,” he said.
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