PENGASSAN Ensured Stability in Oil, Gas Sector, Says Osifo

Comrade Festus Osifo, the outgoing President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), has highlighted the key achievements of his six-year administration, emphasizing job protection, enhanced welfare packages, and the maintenance of stability within Nigeria's critical oil and gas sector.

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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.

Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, Osifo stressed the importance of visible union leadership whose impact is directly felt by its members. He described his approach as "on the shop floor," ensuring constant engagement with workers during negotiations and periods of industrial challenges, not just during elections.

Osifo detailed PENGASSAN's commitment to safeguarding members' welfare and incomes amidst significant economic shocks, particularly the naira's sharp devaluation in 2023, which severely eroded purchasing power. He stated that the union successfully negotiated with employers to restore a substantial portion of lost purchasing power, with adjustments in many cases exceeding the prevailing inflation rate. "If you are restoring back devaluation, that means you are going much above inflation. That was one of the strategies," he explained.

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We did everything possible to restore back, not 100 per cent of the branches, but a substantial majority of the branches. We were able to push and restore back what they lost.

He characterized his leadership style as hands-on, believing that union members need to see their leaders actively involved in negotiations and resolving disputes. This approach, he said, helped the union manage issues related to job cuts, contract reviews, collective bargaining agreements, and welfare concerns without allowing disagreements to escalate into prolonged industrial crises. "That closeness is what helped us stabilise the sector," Osifo remarked.

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If you are restoring back devaluation, that means you are going much above inflation. That was one of the strategies.

Osifo, whose second tenure concludes this month, asserted that PENGASSAN's proactive engagement contributed to relative industrial peace in the oil and gas sector, contrasting with labor challenges faced in other sectors. He reiterated that maintaining close ties with members at the branch level, especially during collective bargaining agreement negotiations, was crucial for building trust and ensuring fair remuneration within the industry.

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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.