Oil and gas workers’ union, PENGASSAN, gets new officers

Oil workers, under the aegis of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, on Saturday re-elected Francis Johnson as its national president.

Mr. Johnson, a senior staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, who was elected in June 2014 for the first term, was given a renewed mandate to lead the group for another term of three years, till 2020.

Elected during the 5th triennial delegates’ conference in Abuja, Mr. Johnson defeated two of his colleagues, Mohammed Saleh of the National Petroleum Investments Management Services, NAPIMS and Emmanuel Eze of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC.

Also elected were Frank Esanubi from Chevron Nigeria Limited as deputy national president. He beat the incumbent, Jude Nwaogu.

Ndukaku Ohaeri from the Nigeria LNG was re-elected as the National Industrial Relations Officer. He defeated the former Port Harcourt Zonal Secretary of the Association, Elo Victor-Ogbonda.

Other re-elected officials are Eleas Eduga of Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC, as National Financial Secretary; Evelyn Ijeoma of Fugro Nigeria Limited, as national women chairperson and Yon Naron of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA as National Auditor 1.

Victor Ononokpono of the PPPRA was elected the national treasurer; Fortune Obi of Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, as National PRO, and Timothy Jaiyeoba, as National Auditor 2.

A statement from the association said the new executive would be joined by six other officers earlier elected at the various zonal elections on May 25, 2017 in Abeokuta, Yola and Asaba.

The elections of the zonal chairman and other three key positions for Port Harcourt Zone were nullified due to irregularities.

In his acceptance speech, the re-elected PENGASSAN President said the security of members’ jobs would remain the preoccupation of his regime.

“Under no guise will we allow our members to lose their jobs unnecessarily,” Mr, Johnson said. “We will fight any form of unprocedural redundancies, or restructuring that affects the interest of our members. But, we are ready to collaborate with the government and other agents towards the development and growth of our industry,” he said.