President Muhammadu Buhari has counselled that despite the necessity of reforms in the petroleum sector, they must not be rushed but properly thought out with the best interest of the country.
Speaking while receiving the national executive council members of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) at the presidential villa, Abuja on Thursday, he conceded that the Petroleum Industry Bill was conceived to ensure future generations of Nigerians benefit from it.
He said: “I fully agree with you that reforming the Petroleum Industry will unlock numerous untapped potentials for the nation. However, these reforms must be well thought out and must have the best interest of Nigeria and Nigerians as its core objective.
“Such reforms cannot and must not be rushed if we must get it right. We are still suffering from the effects of many legacy policies that were rushed and passed without fully appreciating the consequences the provisions embedded in them.
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“Whatever decision we take now will impact either negatively or positively on generations to come. The Petroleum Industry Bill was conceived to ensure Nigeria’s future generations are positively impacted by its oil wealth. It was never about short-term gains. I want to assure you that dialogue on the Petroleum Industry Bill is still ongoing. At the end, we will have a bill that the nation will be proud of.”
On refineries, the President said the Public Private Partnership approach adopted by his administration to rehabilitate the nation’s existing refineries has taken longer than expected.
But he stated: “However, I am aware that the NNPC has concluded the process for selecting the private sector partners that will rehabilitate the refineries. I am informed that they are working out finances and hopefully, work will commence soon.”
He informed that government will continue to support innovative ideas that will bring new refinery investments into the country, noting that “in this respect, I look forward to receiving suggestions from your members on how we can move forward.”
The President added: “As one of the architects of the Nigeria Contents Monitoring and Development Act, I am sure NUPENG members appreciate that a key principle of this act is the indigenisation of certain processes and production functions. Indigenisation means local value addition leveraging local resources where possible.
“The Act specified minimum local content requirements, including manpower, for all projects and contracts in the oil and gas industry. The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board is fully empowered to ensure compliance. I will direct the Hon. Minister of State Petroleum Resources to review the issues you have raised and take appropriate action to ensure compliance with the Act by operators in the industry.
“I urge that you submit any specific petition to the Minister of State with the assurance that such will be looked into diligently.
“As you are all aware, we are working hard to make our business environment easier and friendlier for investors, both local and international. It is, therefore, our collective duty to provide constructive guidance to enhance operations of investors in the oil and gas sector. Therefore in drafting any petition, I would ask that your submissions are supported with facts.”
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On security in the Niger Delta, he pointed out that pipeline vandalism has declined, saying: “We have, and will continue to promote peaceful engagement with the communities while at the same time maintain our readiness to respond to any hostile acts of sabotage. “
The President who was conferred with the title of “Grand Comrade” by the association, thanked PENGASSAN for its unflinching support to his administration over the last three years.
He further stated: “I regularly receive feedback on your positive and constructive engagements with the government.
“No doubt, your support has contributed to the continued uninterrupted supply of products to consumers across the country in the last three years.
“May I, therefore, use this opportunity to request that you continue on this patriotic path while assuring you of government’s support to the course of the Nigerian workers at all times.”
In his remarks, the National President of PENGASSAN, Comrade Williams Akporeha reported that the Local Contents Monitoring and Development Act was not being properly implemented in the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry.
According to him, “there was an increasing wave of indecent and precarious employment in the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry” which he said, “can best be described as a disappointment and inadvertently contributing to making young Nigerian graduates so desperate and frustrated to the extent of embarking on suicidal migration to Europe and America.”
He added: “It is worthy to note that the Unions in the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry worked tirelessly to see to the passage into law of the Nigeria Contents Monitoring and Development Board (NCMDB) Act, because it was anticipated that it will aid and support the protection of the rights and job interests of Nigerian Workers.
“Unfortunately, the reverse is the situation because there is the erroneous perception that the intention of the Act was to create as many Indigenous Contractors as much as possible without minding the nature of jobs these Contractors are giving to Nigerians.
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“Even your executive order of Nigeria first on employment issues is being blazingly disregarded.
“Your Excellency Sir, it will interest you to know that Multi-national Oil Companies and the Indigenous are no longer employing Nigerian young Technical, Vocational, Polytechnic and University graduates on a permanent basis.
“The general practice now is indecent and precarious employment. The rights, benefits and jobs security of these hapless Nigerians are being generally denied and violated. Including but not limited to the freedom to belong to the Trade Union.
“It is our prayers, therefore, for your Presidential directive to ensure that a key condition in securing contracts in the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry should be a readiness to employ at least 75 per cent of all cadre on permanent basis and also allow all workers to freely associate with any registered Trade Union in the Industry.
“We wish to further appeal to your Excellency to consider the overhauling and amendment of the NCMDB Act for the inclusion of dissent jobs and other stakeholders.”
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