…Protest denial of pension benefits
From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
Retirees of Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited (NAOC) have cried out that they are dying out of depression and hardship, saying that over 100 of their colleagues have passed on.
They specifically said that from 2023 till date, over 20 retirees including their former chairman died, following non-implementation of their contractual agreement by the company.
The senior citizens expressed this yesterday, when they staged a peaceful protest to the company under the Agip Pensioners Association (APA) platform.
APA’s current chairman, Elder Sito Paul, told journalists during the protest, that the group has five-point demands which Agip has not implemented.
The demands were: “periodic increase in pension to meet the present economic challenges; increase in minimum wage that is now worthless; reinstate late retirees’ spouses who are denied medicare; provision of palliatives because of the jump in cost of living and industry practice of increasing pay to retirees as done to serving staff.”
Some of the inscriptions on their placards read: ‘Spouses of retirees are denied medical treatment unlike other oil companies’, ‘No pension increase since 2009, and no welfare plan in place’, ‘Agip pension has lost its value in today’s economy: no review as obtainable in other oil companies.’
Other inscriptions were: ‘Our years of meritorious services deserve better treatments’, ‘We demand for a living pension: stop killing the geese that laid the golden eggs’, ‘Agip Management, increase our pension like other oil companies’ and ‘Agip, give your retirees palliatives like other oil companies’.
Elder Paul said about 700 retirees, who put in between 30 to 35 years of meritorious services, fall into the category of pensioners demanding for their rights.
He lamented that since they retired from active service, the multi-national oil company has not increased their minimum wage.
Elder Paul said: “The management has been so nonchalant to most of our demands industry-wise. We have in the oil industry made up of five major oil companies. They include Shell, Chevron, Mobil, Agip and Total Energy. These are the five major oil companies in Nigeria. And they do things similarly.
“We have a national body that meets quarterly every year. And we just finished the meeting yesterday (May 22, 2024). What we do is to compare notes. We have compared noted with these other four companies and we found out the we (Agip retirees) are no where.
“It has been so for a while and we contacted our management and told them what is happening in other oil industries. You have not done it. Why is it so?
“Their (Agip Management) promise has always been positive for over three years. Let me tell you that right now, as we are talking, some people who were assistant managers, what they are name now is N150,000 minimum wage. Imagine somebody that retired from the oil industry.
“Oil industries sell their crude in dollars, which means what they are paying is not up to $10.
“We are dying. If they tell you statistics of death now you would be amazed. Death is increasing because the retirees cannot measure up with the economy.
“Worse still, when we are old and die, the agreement has been that our spouses should continue with the medical care. But, the management has unilaterally changed. We don’t know where that came from. This is an opportunity for life. They drive our spouses away from coming to take medical care.
“All the palliatives that other oil companies gave their retirees, Agip did not give us. You know the jump in cost of living. The company didn’t give us anything. And they have been saying “we will do something”. But, nothing has been done.”
Also, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the association, Chief Alex Onyekwe, Messrs Theophilus Obiene (former Chairman of PENGASSAN), Mr. Johnson Obarie and Chief Godfrey Elenwo collaborated with the views of the APA chairman.
Meanwhile, Saturday Sun learnt that a meeting between APA exco members and Agip management was held as scheduled.
According to Chief Onyekwe, PRO of the association, the interaction was through zoom meeting.
He said the management was represented by Ighojovbe Ogenekaro, General Manager, Human Resources and Organisations, Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited, Abuja.
Onyekwe said the management promised to look into APA demands and give them (APA) feedback, while the association has given Agip till July, 2024, to respond to their agitations.