NIGERIA: NARTO strike ends as FG accepts to pay bridging claims
By Eyo Nsima
The Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO, has called off its strike in Nigeria following the acceptance of the Federal Government to pay outstanding bridging claims for the transportation of petrol across the country.
The Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri said at the meeting with NARTO, oil marketers and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, that all outstanding bridging claims would be verified and paid by the government.
He said: “I want to announce to Nigerians that after consultations with all stakeholders, we have come to a conclusion that the strike will be called off. All the issues they raised have been addressed and I have also given commitments on behalf of the government that going forward the government will do what it is expected to do.
“We have given our commitment and we have started paying some of the bridging claims. We have also committed that in the next four weeks maximum by the middle of next month we would have done with the reconciliation so that those that owe will pay up.”
Similarly, NARTO National President, Alhaji Yusuf Lawal Othman, said: “This has no relation with the pump price. Our agitation is as regards the freight rate, for the transportation of petrol. In any case you have to transport the fuel before you sell it and if the amount they are paying is not adequate to move the product to the stations, you will not see it to buy.
“There has been some movement even though it is not what we expected but at least we have made some movement. Going forward we will continue to negotiate with the marking companies based on economic realities”.
On his part, the Chief Executive, NMDPRA, Engr. Farouk Ahmed, said: “NARTO members were requesting for increase but as a regulator, NMDPRA, we said we were not going to enforce any price increase because the market is deregulated. Therefore we asked them to meet with the marketers that they service to negotiate on one on one basis. The marketers were reluctant to increase the rate and that led to the strike action.
“We thank God that after negotiations yesterday and today (Monday and Tuesday) they arrived at a conclusion. Some of them have agreed on rates like the NNPC, Total but there are a few other left and negotiations are continuing.”
