PENGASSAN berates oil companies over anti-labour activities

TO avoid imminent industrial crisis in the oil and gas sector, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has advised the Federal Government to call to order all international and indigenous oil companies over their anti-Labour practices and workers’ enslavement.

Already, PENGASSAN has vowed to confront all industrial issues with utmost seriousness, warning that all recalcitrant companies who operate as if they are above Nigerian laws should brace up for a rude awakening.

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The President of PENGASSAN, Comrade Olabode Johnson, gave the warning while highlighting the positions took at the last meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the union; while speaking with the Nigerian Tribune.

Comrade Olabode said the association will explore all possible means to ensure no organization undermines any provisions of the Nigeria laws.

Specifically, he said: “NEC-In-Session observes with dismay the attitudes of some organizations such as CISCON, SDF, Petrobras and Sterling oil who are engaged in modern day enslavement of workers; hence it urges the Federal Government through the Ministry of Labour and Employment to call these organizations to order to avoid an imminent industrial crisis in the sector.”

As a key stakeholder in the sector, he said the association will continue to reiterate her support towards efforts aimed at diversifying the Economy through the ongoing efforts to rehabilitate the Nation’s Refineries.

He said: “This has been demonstrated by the Federal Government through the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Management and Staff to strengthen and consolidate on the gains of the several socio/economic and political initiatives, policies and programmes for the interest of the Country.

“NEC-In-Session commends the NNPC management for the initiative to use in-house resources in the revitalization of the Nation’s Refineries starting with the Port Harcourt Refinery.

“Consequently, NEC-In-Session expects that issues surrounding the optimal performance of all the Refineries should be addressed to enhance local refining and consumption which will ultimately eliminate the hiccups associated with products importations and subsidy payment.”

The PENGASSAN President commended the NNPC management for rehabilitating and restoring some of its key assets such as the tank expansion at Atlas Cove Depot, re-opening of Depot facilities at Mosimi, Ibadan, Enugu, Aba and Kano, Aba-Port Harcourt pipeline, and Jetty expansion projects, among others.

He also commended the Crude Oil Tracking initiative which has blocked leakages and reduce crude oil theft.

Comrade Olabode said the fight against corruption should not be allowed to shrink but rather sustained to cover all sectors and maintain the gains under the present dispensation.

He said: “NEC advices that reports of probes instituted by the two chambers of the National Assembly and other Agencies of Government should not be shoved aside but dusted, and those indicted duly prosecuted.

“ It also demands that Government should make all effort to see that all recovered looted funds should be accounted for and re-invested into the economy to reduce unemployment.”