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Tag: PENGASSAN

  • PENGASSAN’s picketing worries oil service firms

    Oil service companies are worried by incessant picketing by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) members over internal labour issues.

    Nestoil oil subsidiary, Neconde Energy and Ciscon Limited, among others, have had conflicts with PENGASSAN over labour issues, which included not allowing their workers to unionise.

    Leaders of Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), the umbrella body of the oil service firms, met in Lagos over the continuous picketing of their members’ firms with a view to charting strategies to deal with the issue. Some of their discussions included legal determination of labour activism boundaries, internal reorganisation and staff contracting. The oil service firms are working together to ward off common hindrances to their business growth.

    PETAN Chairman Mr. Bank-Anthony Okoroafor, who spoke on the outcome of the meeting, said PENGASSAN had refused to play the role of patriotic partners  to sustain the Nigeria Content Development in the face of the prevailing downturn in the industry.

    “It is difficult times for the oil firms, not just the service firms, but also oil firms that are facing the headwinds in the oil market. Some of them are finding it difficult to pay for jobs delivered by service firms. So, they owe us. We don’t go to war with them because we know what the industry is passing through.

    “Most of the contracting firms are owed. So, they are justifiably in debt, and the banks are chasing them. And you go and shut them down because you want to unionize. That is insensitivity. Now, if these fledgling firms go down completely where will your members work? The biggest losers would be the workers PENGASSAN claims to be fighting for,” Okoroafor said.

    Besides worsening the situation in the industry, picketing could be fatal on small fledgling companies, Okoroafor said, advising the PENGASSAN leadership to create internal communications channels to enable workers at all levels to understand the business dynamics and state of affairs in the industry at all times.

    Some PETAN members, who spoke on the outcome of the meeting, said investors’ response would take a multi-faceted approach that would not rule out massive re-staffing, which might involve well-defined workplace behavioural codes and activities that conform to local and international labour laws. They expressed dissatisfaction over workers’ boldness in shutting down operations of some members, describing it as totally unacceptable.

     

     

  • PENGASSAN seeks NNPC’s reimbursement for oil subsidy payment

    PENGASSAN seeks NNPC’s reimbursement for oil subsidy payment

    The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has called on the Federal Government to reimburse the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for the expenses it incurred on payment of subsidy to marketers.

    Arising from its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Warri, Delta State,  PENGASSAN said  the NNPC had continued to shoulder the responsibility of providing products to close gaps  created by the withdrawal of other marketers owing to the non-payment of subsidy claims from 2015 to 2017.

    In a communique by PENGASSAN President Comrade Francis Olabode Johnson and General Secretary Comrade Lumumba Okugbawa, the union said the extra burden absorbed by the NNPC was depleting its finances and hampering the effective discharge of its statutory obligations.

    The senior staff trade union, therefore, called on the government to reimburse the huge payments made within the period under review.

    It expressed worries over the delayed payment of subsidy and debts  owed oil marketers, urging the Federal Government to come to the table to resolve the differences as this would help to avert loss of jobs in the oil and gas industry.

    On the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), PENGASSAN praised the 8th National Assembly for breaking the jinx of passing into law the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB), but called on the lawmakers to expedite action on the Petroleum Industry Administration Bill, the Petroleum Industry Fiscal Bill and the Petroleum Host Community Bill to enable the PIB deliver full benefits of the intended Oil and Gas reforms.

    The Association demanded that the legal framework in the bill should allocate a percentage of the production by International Oil Companies (IOC)’s operating in Nigeria for refining in the country through a policy that would compel them to build Refineries in Nigeria.

    “This is in support of the proposal of the Federal Government as announced by the Honourable Minister of Petroleum (State), Dr Ibe Kachickwu at the last Nigerian International Petroleum Summit (NIPS) in Abuja,” it stated.

  • Fuel queue continues

    Fuel queue continues

    One day after announcing the suspension of the strike by the General Secretary, The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria’ (PENGASSAN), Lumumba Okugbawa fuel queues have continued to persist.

    Several fuelling stations were still closed down as fuel queues continued to extend along the Igando Isheri axis causing traffic to communters who set out to work this Tuesday morning.

    Best Option filling station at Olorunfemi bus stop was deserted as no attendants were available neither were any motorists willing to turn in.

    At Oando Filling Station which is directly opposite, the fuel queue had extended on the side of the road as no vehicles were allowed to park inside. It was a long queue of people waiting patiently outside with their jerry cans optimistic to buy fuel.

    Catching up with Rufus, who was on his way to work this morning, he was of the opinion that the fuel scarcity was another way to make Nigerians spend unnecessarily on fuel

    “Some people want to travel and they can’t, some don’t even need fuel but due to the scarcity they will store so much at home and after a few days all these scarcity will dispel

    A visit to NNPC fuel station just after the Igando BRT Bus-stop was a no show as the gates were securely locked with no one within willing to sell fuel.

     

    Further down the Igando- Isheri axis, Al- Moruff Oil & Gas was open but not selling fuel at all. Oando filling station also along the axis was open but fuel queues were long causing traffic on the other side.

    Worse hit of this fuel crisis are the various individuals who relied on commercial transport to get to their places of work as most of them continued to engage in numeorus fits of rage with the commercial bus owners on the increase and doubling of bus transportation fares.

    Speaking to a commercial bus driver who also operated along the Igando- Isheri axis, he said:

    “Last night, we had to go down to Obadore to get fuel and it was then we agreed on doubling the price of the mini vans plying the routes to Egan,” he explained.

  • Oil gains on Forties outage, PENGASSAN strike

    Oil gains on Forties outage, PENGASSAN strike

    Oil prices edged higher yesterday, supported by a North Sea pipeline outage and a workers’ strike in the Nigerian energy industry.

    A fall in the number of United States (U.S.) rigs drilling for oil also underpinned prices, but growth in U.S. crude output cast a shadow over the market.

    Brent crude futures, the international benchmark, were at $63.59 a barrel, up 36 cents.

    U.S. crude futures were at $57.67, up 37 cents.

    Brent had traded as high as $63.91 earlier in the day but pared gains after Ineos, operator of the North Sea Forties pipeline, said the crack that shut it down had not spread.

    The 450,000-barrels-per-day (bpd) link that provides some of the physical crude underpinning Brent has been shut since Dec. 11, forcing Ineos to declare force majeure on all oil and gas shipments from it last week.

    “There is still no reliable information about how long the repair work will last and when the pipeline will go back into operation. This should preclude any fall in the Brent price for the foreseeable future,” Commerzbank said in a note.

    Workers from one of Nigeria’s largest oil unions began strike action yesterday, sparking concerns over exports from Africa’s largest crude producer.

    The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), whose members mainly work in the upstream oil industry, said they were holding talks with labour ministry officials over the indefinite strike.

    In the U.S., energy companies cut rigs drilling for new production for the first time in six weeks, to 747, in the week ended Dec. 15, energy services firm Baker Hughes said on Friday.

    Activity is still well above this time last year, when the rig count was below 500. Actual U.S. production has soared 16 percent since mid-2016 to 9.8 million bpd.

    U.S. output is approaching that of top producers Saudi Arabia and Russia, which are pumping 10 million bpd and 11 million bpd respectively.

    This has undermined market-balancing efforts by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and a group of non-OPEC producers including Russia to withhold production.

    Largely because of rising U.S. shale output, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said global oil markets would show a supply surplus of around 200,000 bpd in the first half of 2018.

    The U.S. Energy Information Administration showed a similar surplus for that period and indicated a supply overhang of 167,000 bpd for all of 2018.

  • Long queues, petrol hawkers back in Lagos

    Long queues, petrol hawkers back in Lagos

    Lagos residents on Monday saw the return of long queues at petrol filling stations.

    A correspondent, who monitored the situation, reports that many petrol stations did not have petrol, while the few ones that had sold above the official pump price of N145 per litre.

    Petrol hawkers were sighted along some routes selling 10 litres of petrol at N3,000 against the official pump price of N1,450 per litre.

    The scarcity is allegedly due to the pronouncement of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association ( PENGASSAN ) to embark on an industrial action.

    The announcement led to abrupt shut of flow stations across parts of the country which caused panic buying.

    Some motorists, who spoke to NAN, said that they had spent hours on queues.

    They said that some filling stations were exploiting the situation to increase price of the product.

    NAN observed that some filling stations at Berger- Iyana-Oworo Expressway, Ikorodu, Bariga, Lagos-Badagry Expressway, among others, sold petrol at between N160 and N170 per litre.

    At NIPCO filling station in Ikorodu, a banker, Mr Anthony Sunday, said there was no justification for the current fuel scarcity as the government had assured citizens of abundant fuel supply during the Yuletide.

    Read also: Four ships arrive Lagos ports with petrol

    He said marketers were taking advantage of PENGASSAN’s planned strike and the festive period to exploit citizens.

    At Conoil filling station at Alapere, a trader, Mrs Alice Jubril, condemned its management for selling above the pump price of N145 per litre.

    Jubril said marketers were also the cause of the long queues at filling stations.

    “I bought a litre of petrol at N160 against the regulated price of N145 per litre.

    “This is an indication of exploitation, ” she said.

    Another motorist, Mrs Ifeoma Vincent, urged the regulatory agencies to intervene to stop arbitrary increase in pump price.

    She said the development had compelled commercial drivers to increase their fares, adding that the drivers often cited difficulties in getting fuel as the main reason.

    “For instance, the fare for a trip from Ikorodu to Ojuelegba which used to be N250 is now N700, while a journey to Ketu which formerly was N100 is now N300.

    “Apart from the hike in transport fares, the fuel situation has also affected the traffic situation as parts of the roads have now been taken over by vehicles queuing for fuel, ‘’she said.

    The NNPC has, however, advised motorists and other petroleum products consumers not to engage in panic buying.

    Its Group General Manger (Group Public Affairs), Mr Ndu Ughamadu, gave the advice in a statement on Monday.

    Ughamadu said relevant government agencies were in consultation with the industrial unions to arrive at amicable resolution of issues over threats of an industrial action.

    NNPC warned marketers not to hoard products as law enforcement agencies, working with industry regulators, had been mandated to take appropriate measures against any defaulter.

    It said that there were enough petroleum products to go round the nation.

    NAN

  • NNPC warns oil marketers against fuel hoarding

    NNPC warns oil marketers against fuel hoarding

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation ( NNPC ) on Monday warned oil marketers to desist from hoarding petroleum products or risk arrest by law enforcement agencies.

    NNPC Spokesman, Ndu Ughamadu, said in a statement in Abuja that the warning followed the uncovering of 144 oil tankers filled with petroleum products in Kano.

    Read also: NNPC threatens to shut stations hoarding fuel

    According to him, government has intervened in an industrial action embarked upon by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria ( PENGASSAN ) over labour disputes with NECONDE Energy Services Ltd.

    “NNPC warns marketers not to hoard products as law enforcement agencies, working with industry regulators, have been detailed to take appropriate measures against any defaulter.

    “The Corporation further assures that there are enough petroleum products to keep the nation wet,” Ughamadu said.

    He urged motorists and other consumers of   petroleum products to resist the temptation to go into panic buying.

    “NNPC wishes to state that relevant government agencies are in consultation with industrial unions to arrive at an amicable resolution of issues over which there are threats of industrial action,” he said.

    The Federal Government has also waded into the matter, appealing to leaders of PENGASSAN to shelve its strike over the sack of workers by NECONDE Energy Services Ltd.

    Queues, which eased some days back, have now returned at filling stations in the Federal Capital Territory.

    NAN

  • Ngige to PENGASSAN: shelve your planned strike

    Ngige to PENGASSAN: shelve your planned strike

    •There’s agreement, says minister

    Minister of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige has appealed to members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to shelve their planned strike scheduled to begin today, in the spirit of the conciliation brokered between it and Neconde Energy Services Ltd.

    The union is asking the government to compel the company to recalled all sacked workers within seven days and stick to the nation’s labour laws.

    It added that failure to do that, the union will have no other option than to call out its members on a nationwide indefinite strike action with effect from today.

    The union accused Neconde Energy of entrenching unfriendly labour practices in contravention of the nation’s labour laws and failing to remit taxes and pensions deducted from workers to government.

    However, Deputy Director, Press in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment Samuel Olowookere said in a statement in Abuja yesterday that with the conciliatory meeting brokered by Minister of Labour and Employment, the impending action by PENGASSAN has effectively been arrested in line with the provisions of the relevant labour laws.

    The statement said “We recall that the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige had on Wednesday, December 13 and Thursday, December 14, 2017, brokered long hours of conciliation  between PENGASSAN and Neconde Energy Services Ltd and secured  an agreement.

    “By that agreement, Neconde shall invite the sacked branch chairman of PENGASSAN and hold heart to heart discussion with him while PENGASSAN is to hold back proposed action pending the reconvening of the meeting in the second week of January 2018  when other contending issues relating to other oil companies would be also be sorted out.

    “We, therefore, wish to appeal to the Central Working Committee of PENGASSAN to reconsider its decision, respect the agreement and call off the scheduled action in the overall interest of the nation, more so when adequate notice of strike was not given.

    “This appeal has become imperative in order to save Nigerians from further hardship in this season of Christmas and the New year.”

  • PENGASSAN ‘not threatened’

    PENGASSAN ‘not threatened’

    The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) Producers’ Forum says it is not threatened by the Federal Government’s plan to give licences to modular refineries’operators.

    Rather, it said, it is worried by the scarcity of fuel in some parts of the country.

    PENGASSAN Producers Forum Chairman, Comrade Festus Osifoh, spoke at the group’s retreat in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

    Osifoh noted that when citizens own private refineries, more jobs would be created for Nigerians.

    “We cannot be threatened if the Federal Government give licences to individuals to operate modular refineries because it will create more jobs in the oil and gas industries. PENGASSAN has over 20,000 members and we want more.

  • PENGASSAN backs NNPC on exploration in inland Basins

    PENGASSAN backs NNPC on exploration in inland Basins

    The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has commended the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on the exploratory activities it has been spearheading in inland basins.

    PENGASSAN National President, Comrade Francis Johnson, who led the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the union on a courtesy visit to the NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr Maikanti Baru in Abuja, said the yeoman job being undertaken by the NNPC with regards to the frontier basins would benefit the nation ultimately.

    Johnson, according to the NNPC statement that made this disclosure, said the union’s fervent prayer was for a breakthrough to be achieved in the Corporation’s exploratory efforts in the basins.

    The Management of NNPC under the leadership of Dr. Baru, has in recent time, embarked on aggressive exploratory operations in the nation’s frontier basins of the Chad Basin and Benue Trough in line with the aspiration of the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to increase the reserves base of the country.

    Dr. Baru, since assumption of office last year, has drummed up support for the exploration activities with critical stakeholders in Bauchi, Borno, Sokoto and Nassarawa State.

    In Nassarawa State recently, he disclosed that NNPC’s Frontier Exploration Services (FES), a services company of the Corporation, had mobilized the Integrated Data Services Ltd (IDSL), (an Upstream arm of the NNPC) to acquire seismic data in the Benue Trough commencing from the Keana area.

    At the visit to the GMD, the PENGASSAN National President also commended the NNPC GMD for collaborating with other government agencies and critical stakeholders to bring about efficiency in the Petroleum Industry, adding that his efforts has also led to the improved products supply situation being enjoyed in the country.

    Comrade Johnson said the NNPC Management was capable of returning the refineries to profitability while expressing the union’s confidence in the Corporation’s effort in that regard.

    “PENGASSAN will support any effective, efficient and sustainable model that can make the refineries viable,’’ Comrade Johnson said.

    He also called on the GMD to intensify the ongoing rehabilitation of the downstream facilities, especially the depots, pipelines, tank farms and jetties to further ensure seamless supply of products across the country.

    On the Petroleum Industry Bill, the PENGASSAN President emphasized the need for its speedy passage, adding that the unions were ready to collaborate with the National Assembly to resolve knotty issues associated with it.

    Responding, Dr. Baru disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari had mandated him and the NNPC Management to bring back the refineries to their glorious days and thanked the unions for their belief in his capability to deliver on the president’s mandate.

    He said funding had been a major challenge in the rehabilitation of the refineries but was however optimistic that the various options being explored would yield positive results.

    The GMD expressed appreciation to the unions for their support in his effort to move the Petroleum Industry forward, while lauding their pragmatic approach to handling issues, saying this has helped to bring about industrial harmony.

    On his part, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Corporate Services, Alhaji Isah Inuwa, urged the unions to continue to work on the part of amity, while assuring them of NNPC management’s readiness to continue to collaborate with them in the overall interest of the Industry and the nation.

  • PENGASSAN decries delayed passage of PIB

    PENGASSAN decries delayed passage of PIB

    Nigeria has lost much revenue and new investments due to the delay in the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), oil workers, under the aegis of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) have said.

    Speaking with The Nation,  PENGASSAN President Comrade Francis Olabode Johnson said the union would continue to collaborate with others to ensure that adverse labour clauses in the Bill are addressed before its passage.

    Olabode called on stakeholders, especially the government, to take co-ordinated steps to resolve some of the problems bedeviling the oil and gas industry.

    According to him, some of the issues that need urgent attention include  attacks on national assets, rehabilitation of refineries and other government-owned oil installations, anti-labour posture and practices of indigenous companies and marginal field operators, contract and casual staffing, infrastructural decay, national industrial relations crisis, among others.

    “We condemn the continuous attacks on national assets such as pipelines and other oil and gas installations in the  country, which has caused lots of incalculable damage to the national and industry’s revenue, demanding strong security strategies and use of modern equipment to end unnecessary crisis. He implored the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency and priority, carry out a comprehensive Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) in all the four state-owned refineries.

    Olabode  frowned at the anti-union posture of indigenous oil and gas companies and marginal field operators, and called on regulatory institutions and business partners (Ministry of Petroleum Resources Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), NAPIMS, International Oil Companies (IOCs), and Ministry of Labour and Employment to call such companies to order.

    He called on the government to urgently re-convene the Ministerial committee on contract and casual staffing, which was chaired by the Late Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Barrister James Ocholi, to address all issues on abuse of service contract provisions in the oil and gas industry.

    In a related event, PENGASSAN has called for united labour  to engage owing governors

    Johnson, who chided the governors for refusing to pay salaries of their workers despite the bail out received from the Federal Government, called on the  Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to lead the struggle in making  the governors pay their workers.

    He said though his union (PENGASSAN) operates in a very critical sector of the economic and the society, he assured that the union would use every power it has to support the TUC and the NLC in whatever step they take in fighting the battle.