The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and it’s Social Partners have concluded plans to set up a Trust Fund for the education of the children of its late President, Comrade Francis Olabode Johnson.
The Acting President of PENGASSAN, Frank Esanubi, who described the late Johnson as a great and humble man, disclosed this when the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, William Alo, led a delegation of the management staff of the ministry on a condolence visit to the office of PENGASSAN in Abuja.
PENGASSAN and its Social Partners took the decision during a marathon meeting at its Abuja liaison office on Monday; after which its Central Working Committee (CWC), National Executive Council (NEC) and past Presidents of the union paid a condolence visit to the Abuja home of their late President where they spoke on his leadership qualities, love to the labour family and his family, especially his wife.
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The PENGASSAN acting president explained that the leadership of the union had met to discuss how to take care of the family.
He said the union in collaboration with social partners, would set up a Trust Fund for the education of the children of its late President.
According to Comrade Esanubi, details of the Trust Fund would be made known to the social partners in due course.
“There will be a trust fund to cater for the education of the children to tertiary level. We promised to do our best to see that the family will not feel any material need,” he said.
Comrade Esanubi described the late Johnson as a great and humble man, who was versed in the ability to maintain relationships.
While commending the leadership of the ministry for the visit, he promised that the union would do everything it could to maintain the industrial peace that Johnson left behind.
The Permanent Secretary, William Alo, has expressed shock, deep sorrow and pain over the death of the PENGASSAN President.
While paying a glowing tribute to the departed comrade, the permanent secretary described him as a dependable ally of the ministry, whose support and contribution assisted in achieving its mandate of maintaining industrial peace and harmony in the country.
Lauding the late Johnson on his achievements in the Petroleum and Natural Gas sector, Alo said, “the late PENGASSAN President employed his wealth of experience and administrative ingenuity in bringing about good industrial relations that have stabilized the sector.”
He enjoined those he left behind to bear the death of the Comrade with fortitude and be consoled by the numerous testimonies about the good life he lived.
The Permanent Secretary urged PENGASSAN not to forget the family of the late Johnson and pledged that Government would sustain the industrial peace and harmony he fought for.