Comrade Seyi Gambo is the former National Publicity Secretary of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN). In this interview with Justice Ilevbare, he spoke on a wide range of issues affecting Labour Unions, leadership crisis and how to better the lives of members among others.
Against the backdrop of the directive by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, asking oil and gas companies not to sack their workers, the Director General of Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) Mr. Olusegun Oshinowo, said the minister was not putting into perspective the poor economic environment that had eroded the profits of private sector employers.
But Comrade Seyi Gambo, a former National Publicity Secretary of PENGASSAN in a chat with the Nation said the unions or members of these unions are victims of their respective weak and reactionary leadership.
“The minister for one should know that you can force a horse to the river but you cannot force it to drink. Are all the firms in the oil and gas industry government owned? Coming from the background that the minister of Petroleum and Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) promised that there will be no job loss within the cadre of the in house unions.
“What kind of labour industrial relations is the Labour minister pursuing? What will happen therefore is that the people that the companies can still allow on their payroll will all be sent packing,” he said.
According to Gambo; “If the union leadership in the past had lived up to the billing, things won’t be this bad. But like vultures they eat the future of hardworking members. Billions of dollars if not zillions was made from this sector with nothing to show for it. The unions failed as gate keepers on all fronts. They failed to check mate irresponsible spending by government and fraudulent indiginisation of the sector. They failed to bring the IOC’s to account for how much they were really lifting.
“Just as they failed to force government to secure the industry as is amplified in signing into law Petroleum Industry Bill – PIB in the National Assemble for years on end. It was under their watch that oil thief became a national menace affecting the bottom line globally of the IOC’s and government revenue. How can they even set agenda or have effective collaboration when most of their leaders are out of their depth?
“Can you believe that one of the National president’s of a strategic union in the oil and gas sector in the 21st century is a WASC holder, WASC is the highest certificate he has! Can such a person appreciate the dynamics of governance and the sector?” he queried
According to him people like these get into office through orchestrated election.
“There are always interests in elections, interests for good or evil that want to control leadership of these unions because of the influence organised labour wields. So like in this case, there was a tripartite unholy alliance between the former government, an amorphous parastatal of government in the oil and gas sector and unfortunately most members are not discerning.
“They are not sensitive to ask questions about the integrity of personalities vying for elective positions. They vote for individuals based on primordial sentiments. They take their eyes away from the prize, the big picture and who will serve the interest of the nation most. Often times we have opportunists in this business.”
Comrade Gambo also spoke about the election of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) which generated a lot of crisis last year. In his view; “That was a shame not a sham. A group emerged clear leaders and the other group just refused to accept. This is exactly what I am talking about, a shame because simple headcount became too difficult for some people. If sincerely they are in this business to serve, it should not be do or die. I lost an election, and immediately after the loss some comrades came to meet me that there is a window to scuttle the result because the election was held in spite of a subsisting court order restraining the union from going ahead with it.
“So NLC flouted at a critical point in our history when everybody was looking to the union for leadership. Recall the national election was already postponed by INEC and usually organised Labour serve as a catalyst to the democratic processes. I am still hurt when I think of some of these things we have done to a noble movement like the unions in Nigeria. How do we then demand respect from others when we don’t respect ourselves? What kind of legacies are we leaving behind for our successor generation?”
Speaking further, Gambo believes that the unions are the architect of their misfortune as things stands presently.
”Exactly we are the architects of our misfortune. A leader that does not have a fertile mind will only be looking for their personal survival, using divide and rule to moderate the union. Unnecessary politicking instead of giving focused leadership. In my own union for example, the president is due for retirement mid this year, two years into his first tenure. The constitution made provision for a bye-election, but to the embarrassment of all he is not only pushing to finish his tenure, but already campaigning for a second tenure. So the union is now an organisation of anything goes.
“Therefore if the foundation be destroyed, what can the righteous do? I have a case in court as I speak based on what I interpret to be constitutional breaches of my union’s constitution. So we are waiting for the ruling of the National Industrial Court on same. It has caused me deep sorrow that a union which I gave everything as former National PRO, fought the minister of petroleum that wanted to sell our refineries to a standstill, had close shave with death whilst on national assignment should be taken to court by me. However what can one do in the absence of inter democracy? Can we say we have a union in the banking sector with the hazards bank staff in the marketing department is made to go through in the name of targets? How did the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NITEL, Nigeria Airways and other hitherto profitable government ventures died? It’s because their respective union leadership got compromised.”
On the last subsidy protest, he said, “First let us acknowledge that the protest did not start by unions in the sector that is PENGASSAN and NUPENG, neither by the trade centres, Trade Union Congress and Nigerian Labour congress. That agenda was set by the civil societies and we just joined in and took the wheels because we are the strategic partners of government in that industry. The unions failed in that negotiation, but that will be story for yet another day. Nigerians also failed because when soldiers took over the streets, Nigerians could have insisted on staying at home, not going to work after the unions negations failed to achieve the total reversal.”
On his proposed book; “You will have to wait for my book. A lot of things will be revealed in there. Basically my book’s thrust is on leadership in the union and the privilege God gave me to serve at the highest level. I can say without any fear that I never betrayed my members; I have not collected a bribe.”
But how can the union reinvent their leadership like in the days of Pa Imodu? Comrade Gambo said; “The Pa Imodu’s era is a perfect example. I read about it last year in Major Bashorun’s book. He told of how the colonial masters and wealthy Nigerians did not want to have issues with the unions because they were focused, enlightened.
“We’re sincere and God fearing- these values are absent in most unions today. Nowadays union leaders even orchestrate the retrenchment of members they see are critical of their wrong doings, whereas the culture of a successful union is in how robust its debates are.
“I started taking up the establishment while I was a student of Federal Government College
Kaduna and member of the press club then. I had first hand training in UNILAG. I was with Red Drum, Sowore, Malcolm- X (who is a first class graduate of mechanical engineering). Then outside the campus I had mentors like Professor Abubakar Momoh, Ayo Aderinale former executive secretary of Africa leadership forum and many others.
“So by the time I got into public service and union, I knew my onions. I appreciate the privilege to serve the masses. However most of the personalities in office nowadays are there to enrich themselves. We need to go back to the basics, we need to unite, we need to put our first -eleven forward. We need to stand together against injustices in the union; we cannot sow evil seeds and expect to reap good crops. Every Nigeria must start to champion a new Nigerian way of life wherever we are – Within our families, workplace schools,” Gambo counseled.
