PENGASSAN Ensured Stability in Oil, Gas Sector, Says Osifo

Onyebuchi Ezigbo reported from Abuja that the outgoing President of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Comrade Festus Osifo, highlighted his administration's major accomplishments during his tenure. Over the past six years, Osifo's leadership focused on job security, enhanced welfare packages, and stability in Nigeria's oil and gas sector.

Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, Osifo emphasized that effective union leadership must be visible and tangible to those it represents. "The people must see you as their leader, and they must feel your impact. So, one of the things we did in the last three years, in the last six years, is that we were on the shop floor," he stated.

Osifo reiterated PENGASSAN's commitment to safeguarding members' welfare and incomes, even amidst significant economic challenges such as the sharp devaluation of the naira in 2023. He explained that the union negotiated with employers to restore a significant portion of the purchasing power lost by workers, with adjustments often surpassing the prevailing inflation rate.

"We did everything possible to restore back, not 100 per cent of the branches, but a substantial majority of the branches," he affirmed. "If you are restoring back devaluation, that means you are going much above inflation. That was one of the strategies." Osifo's hands-on leadership style involved union members seeing their leaders during negotiations and industrial challenges, not just during elections.

This approach facilitated the resolution of disputes over job cuts, contract reviews, collective bargaining agreements, and welfare issues, preventing industrial crises. He said, "That closeness is what helped us stabilise the sector. When there were issues of job cuts, contract reviews, or welfare disputes, we didn’t abandon any branch.

We went there, we sat with management, we sat with workers, and we found solutions." As Osifo's second term concludes, he credited PENGASSAN's proactive engagement for maintaining relative industrial peace in the oil and gas sector, which was crucial during periods of strikes, job losses, and other labour-related challenges in other industries.

He noted that being close to members, especially during collective bargaining agreement negotiations, built trust and enabled the Central Working Committee to make decisions that were widely accepted. Looking ahead, Osifo expressed confidence that the incoming leadership would continue to prioritize members' welfare, emphasizing the strategic importance of the oil and gas sector to Nigeria's economy.