AS Nigeria celebrates its 58 Independent Anniversary, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), has said that issues of nepotism, insecurity and unemployment portend serious dangers to the nation’s development.
In its independent day message, the union stated that there are many challenges that must be surmounted for the country to be a great nation.
It listed the challenges as; insecurity, infrastructural decay, nepotism, unemployment, impunity, illegal migrations, capital flight, abuse of power, and recklessness of the political class.
The statement signed by PENGASSAN President, Comrade Francis Olabode Johnson and the General Secretary, Comrade Lumumba Ighotemu Okugbawa, emphasized that a lot of work is required for Nigeria to take her rightful place in the global stage.
It read: “The Independence Day Anniversary affords us the opportunity to review the progress made so far as a nation in our socio-economic and political journey, and to appreciate the sacrifice of thousands of our forefathers who laid down their lives to make our country breathe the air of freedom and to keep Nigeria as one united and indivisible nation.
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“We also remember Joseph Blackson, the 36-year-old Nigerian that died after saving the lives of13 people in a boat accident.
“While we can look back and be thankful that we have managed to stay together as a nation with abundant human and natural resources that can catapult us to the comity of great nations, a lot of work is required for Nigeria to take her rightful place in the global stage.
“Nigeria has had 19 years of uninterrupted democratic rule. It is also right to say that Nigerians have made a lot of progress in the field of agriculture, commerce, banking, and manufacturing.
“However, there are many challenges that must be surmounted for us to be a great nation indeed. Issues of insecurity, infrastructural decay, nepotism, unemployment, impunity, illegal migrations, capital flight, abuse of power, and recklessness of the political class continue to dominate national discourse. All of these and more portend serious threat to our development as a people.
“Attracting major investments will continue to elude us if our infrastructure and insecurity challenges are not addressed.”
PENGASSAN expressed regret at the resurgence of attacks by Boko Haram in the North East and North Central parts and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta area of the country.
It also warned that the inability of our security agencies to contain these attacks portends danger in the country especially as the nation approaches the 2019 elections.
It urged the security agencies to rejig their security architecture in order to get rid of these insurgents.
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