NIGERIA UNION OF PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS WORKERS (NUPENG) TEXT OF PRESS CONFERENCE HELD ON THE 16 TH FEBRUARY 2015, AT NUPENG HOUSE, NO. 9, JIBOWU STREET, YABA Gentlemen of the Press, Members of the National Executive Council of NUPENG, Ladies and Gentlemen. You are welcome to NUPENG House and this Press Briefing to react to the press statement made by Comrade Ayuba Wabba, the President of Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria which has been widely reported in the print and electronic media, particularly the Channel and NTA Stations on Friday, February 13, 2015. According to the reports, Comrade Ayuba Wabba alledged that the members of the Nigeria Labour Congress’ Credential Committee particularly the representatives of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) were behind the manipulation of the ballot papers that resulted in the duplication of papers for some contestants in the ballot papers booklet. This allegation to say the least is not only false and baseless, it is most uncharitable and is the figment of Comrade Ayuba imagination, wicked blackmail to score cheap political point to distract attention from his desperation to become the President of Nigeria Labour Congress at all cost. We hereby reject and vehemently deny the allegation in its entirely. NUPENG representative in the committee was not involved in the selection of the printer, award of the contract to print the ballot papers nor involved in the payment for the job. The Credential Committee was constituted to receive complaints/petition from Affiliates Unions regarding allocation of delegates to the 11th Delegates Conference of Congress. The committee met in Lagos and Abuja and addressed all the complaints brought before it. The committee also agreed on the design of the ballot papers. Nevertheless, the selection of the printer, award of the contract and payment for the job were handled by the Secretariat of Congress, while the printing and collation of the ballot papers and stapling them in a booklet form were handled by the printer and his staff. The members of the Credentials committee were not involved in any way. Be that as it may, the members of the committee were not allowed to officiate during the voting by the Chairman of the committee, Dr. Issa Faggae as he was of the opinion that they were delegates and could be partisan. The only person who could be accused of desperation in the run up to the election is Comrade Ayuba Wabba. He is the one whose tenure of office has expired for the past two and half years. He is the one who has manipulated his Union’s Constitution to elongate his stay in office to enable him contest for the Presidency of Congress before conveying his union delegates conference. He is the one who reneged on the agreement of the Unity Forum on the slating of NLC NAC positions between Public Sector and Private Sector Union after attending and funding the process, whereas, his Union General Secretary was an Exco member of the Unity Forum. As Treasurer of the Nigeria Labour Congress he signed the cheque for the payment of the printing of the ballot papers and as a contestant, he is the person who stands to gain from the manipulation of the ballot papers. His accusation of the committee members therefore have no basis whatsoever and should be disregarded. For the umpteenth time, we deny any involvement in the selection of the printer, award of the contract, collation of the ballot papers and payment for the job. All these facts can be verified from the Secretariat of Congress. We hope, this clarification has set the records straight and the populace are now better informed. Thank you and God bless. ISAAC O. ABERARE General Secretary