Security men guarding pipelines of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) have protested over nonpayment of their outstanding salaries. The protesters, under the aegis of Pipeline Right of Way Surveillance Forum (PROWSF), guard the NNPC pipelines from Gwagwalada through Abaji to Kotonkarfe along the Abuja-Lokoja expressway.

The protesters, who converged at the NNPC pumping station at Awawa, on the highway, carrying placards with different inscriptions, shut the gate.

Chairman of the PROWSF, Alhaji Abdullahi Kajiya, who led the protest, said they resumed the protests after authorities of MRS Oil and Gas Limited have failed to pay them their 17 months outstanding salaries.

He said the company paid them for only 2017, after they staged a peaceful protest in December, 27, 2017. “And we have written several letters to the company about our plight, as some of us can’t even send their children to school not to even talk of feeding, but there has been no positive response,” he said.

He said now that Ramadan fasting has commenced, majority of their members were finding it difficult to buy food stuff for their families. He said there were some of their members that have suffered stroke while others have abandoned their responsibilities due to the nonpayment of their salaries by the company.

When contacted, the managing director of MRS Oil and Gas, Hajiya Maryam Rabiu Sani, claimed via telephone that the company was not owning the NNPC security guards. She said: “I don’t think holding protest is the alternative even if we are owing them. We will even want the NNPC to summon a round table meeting to deliberate on the matter as I have no further comment on this.” (Daily Trust)