PENGASSAN stabilised after leadership succession reforms — Osifo

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has successfully resolved leadership succession issues that previously caused tension during transitions, according to union President Festus Osifo. Speaking at a memorial event in Abuja for former President Francis Olabode Johnson, Osifo highlighted constitutional reforms as a key achievement of his administration.

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He passed on suddenly, and PENGASSAN was thrown into some level of confusion. When a leader passes on, you keep running from pillar to post. After his death, we picked ourselves together and have been able to journey on.

Johnson's death in May 2019 initially caused confusion within the union. Osifo noted that leaders should emulate the positive attributes of past figures to immortalize them. He reflected on PENGASSAN, founded in 1978, as a leading Nigerian trade union for skilled oil and gas professionals.

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When a leader passes on, what one should do is to look at the positive attributes of such a leader and try to imbibe them because that is the best way to immortalise such leaders. Today, we are here to celebrate the life and times of our past president, Comrade Francis Olabode Johnson.

Osifo explained that an amendment unanimously adopted in August of the previous year introduced a succession model similar to that of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). Under this new system, the office of the president is no longer directly contested. Instead, members vie for the deputy president position, who then automatically succeeds to the presidency. This change aims to significantly reduce the acrimony often associated with leadership changes.

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With an assembly of intelligent people, everyone has his or her own ideas, and there will naturally be contestation of ideas. Over the years, this created some teething issues during leadership transitions.

The PENGASSAN leader, who also heads the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Nigeria, stated that the new arrangement has already yielded positive results. He reported 100% stability within the union, contrasting it with the typical crises that emerge two years before a transition. Osifo expressed his hope that his administration will also instill a lasting culture of transparency and comradeship.

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Under the model, the office of the president is no longer contested. Instead, members contest for the position of Deputy President, who automatically succeeds to the presidency. This reduces the tension and acrimony that usually accompany leadership transitions.