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Tag: PENGASSAN

  • PENGASSAN ‘scared sheriffs with dogs’, court told

    PENGASSAN ‘scared sheriffs with dogs’, court told

    There was a mild drama yesterday at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) when it was told that officials of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) chased a court sheriff away with a dog to evade service of a  court order.

    The court, presided over by Justice Kenneth Amadi, had restrained the association from holding its delegates’ conference until a suit seeking to stop it was determined.

    The suit was filed by two of its Chevron Nigeria branch members-John Nwanosike and Jonathan Omare, who claimed they were wrongfully stopped from voting or being voted for in the conference in alleged breach of their rights.

    Joined as defendants in the suit are PENGASSAN, its Chevron Branch, Mr Esanubi Frank and Mr Ayanate Kio.

    The plaintiffs’ lawyer Mr Uche Muoneke said PENGASSAN deliberately evaded service of the court order.

    “They loosed their dogs from the bounds, and set them against the bailiff and claimants who took to their heels,” he said.

    He told the court that the defendants still went ahead to hold the delegates conference after evading service.

    Justice Amadi at this point, ordered the claimant’s counsel to effect service of the court processes on the defence counsel, Mr Sola Iji, in the open court.

    The judge then asked: “Mr Sola Iji, have you now been served”? Iji said: “Yes my lord I have been served just now.”

    Justice Amadi then adjourned till July 16 for hearing.

    The judge added that since the action brought by originating summons, he would hear both the motion on notice and the main suit together.

    The plaintiffs said they were duly elected as delegates to the PENGASSAN conference, adding that their tenure was valid for a term of three years.

    They averred that the defendants canceled their names as delegates before the expiration of their tenure, thereby denying them the right to vote and be voted for at the conference.

    The plaintiffs said in a bid to also prevent them from exercising their franchise, the second and third defendants set up a disciplinary committee to try them after they expressed the fear that their rights were been trampled.

    According to them, the panel declared them guilty even when there was no evidence that they committed any offence.

    The plaintiffs are seeking a declaration that the removal of their names as delegates to the Zonal conference and National Conference was unconstitutional.

  • Why fuel scarcity will linger, by PENGASSAN

    Why fuel scarcity will linger, by PENGASSAN

    The proposal by the federal government for total withdrawal of subsidy will not address fuel scarcity, former zonal chairman of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Comrade Mohammed Sa’idu, has warned.

    Sa’idu said that the construction of new refineries and increase in local production of refined products will stop the long queues in filling stations.

    He spoke at the 4th triennial zonal conference of Kaduna zone of the association in Minna.

    He said: “Fuel scarcity will continue to linger in the country even if government decides to make a total withdrawal of fuel subsidy due to wide gap between local production and our daily consumption.”

    The union leader argued that the optimal production capacity of the nation’s refineries is 17 million litres per day while the country’s daily local consumption requirement is in the region of 40 million litres.

     

     

    According to him: “Even if government is ready to put the existing refineries to produce at optimal level, the country will still have to grapple with the importation of over 20 million litres of fuel to augment the daily total requirement for the country.”

    He said that establishment of more refineries remains the only solution to fuel scarcity in the country and called on government to provide enabling environment for private sector to be involved in the process.

    “Any step taken by government outside establishment of more refineries in the country would always serve as temporary measure,” Sa”idu maintained.

     

  • PENGASSAN, NUPENG to protest refineries’sale

    PENGASSAN, NUPENG to protest refineries’sale

    Any attempt by the Federal Government to revisit the privatisation of refineries in the future would be resisted by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), PENGASSAN’s spokesman, Oluwaseyi Gambo has said.

    He told The Nation that the two unions were not unaware of the undercover moves by the government to re-open the issue of selling Kaduna, Warri and Port Harcourt 1&2 refineries in the future, and we were ready to resist such ideas.

    He said the two unions have agreed to engage the government in ideological battle, in case it revisits the issue in the near future, adding that the bodies would organise a roundtable discussion, as well as set conditions for the government on the issue.

    He called for the evaluation of the assets of the refineries by an independent organisation and listing of the refineries’ assets on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), making Nigerians eligible to buy shares in the refineries. These are the conditions the two bodies are planning to set before the government, in the event that such idea comes up again, he said.

    Others are ensuring that the government, the core investors and the two unions supervise the pre and post privatisation process, as well as guaranteeing the jobs of workers of the two unions.

    ‘’ The two unions: NUPENG and PENGASSAN that are operating in these refineries on behalf of Nigerians must be on the committee that would decide on the privatisation model to be used, should the issue come up in the future. We would ensure that Nigerians have greater participation in the operation of these national assets by way of public quotation on the Stock Exchange.

    ‘’ We would jointly evaluate the worth of the assets so that Nigerians would not be short-changed as there are valid reasons that the refineries would be sold in the future to government’ cronies. We would like to know the nature of the core investors, their capacity to turn around the refineries in case the idea is re-appears on the radar of the government.’’

    He said the sale of Eleme Petrochemical Limited was shrouded in secrecy, adding that the two unions do not want that to happen to the refineries in the event that the government offers them for sale in the future.

    Security of workers, he said, must be ensured to encourage economic growth.

    ‘’We have to agree on the welfare of our members who have been on the front-line risking their lives in the hydro-carbon environment for years,’’ he added.

  • BPE, labour to begin dialogue on sale of refineries

    BPE, labour to begin dialogue on sale of refineries

    The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Benjamin Dikki, said yesterday that the establishment would enter into a dialogue with the leaders of the oil workers, for the beginning of the privatisation of the four refineries.

    He said the leaders of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN) and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) are not opposed to the sale of the refineries, but expressed their willingness to enter into a dialogue with the government to develop business models for the refineries.

    “This will be followed up and should lead to the commencement of the privatisation this year,” Dikki said.

    He noted that the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) has approved the appointment of a liquidator for the guided liquidation of Nitel and Mtel.

    Dikki, who spoke to reporters in Abuja, said: “In the same year under review, NCP equally approved the appointment of a liquidator for the guided liquidation of NITEL/MTEL, pending a court confirmation. This process is continuing this year and is also reflected in the work plan.”

    The Director-General disclosed plans to commercialise the operations of public media organisations, such as the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    He said BPE reported to the council that the court process for the appointment of a liquidator for Nitel/M-tel was concluded last Friday when a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja granted a petition for the winding-up of NITEL/M-TEL through a ‘guided liquidation’ process and the appointment of Otunba Olutola O. Senbore as the liquidator.

    Dikki said: “The transactions approved for the department include, to execute the guided liquidation of Nitel/Mtel and to review the policy, legal and regulatory framework, which will prepare ground for the commercialisation of the media enterprises: NTA, FRCN, National Film Corporation and NAN.”

    He went on: “We reported to council that a concept paper for the reform of the media enterprises has been sent to the Minister of Information and his inputs are being awaited.

    “The objective is to review the policy, legal and regulatory framework, which will enable the enterprises to operate as commercial outfits, while still being owned by the government.”

    The BPE boss said there is a target of N535.3 billion from definite transactions and N211.3billion proceeds from prospective transaction this year.

    “In the 2014 work plan, the Bureau has proposed to handle 23 definite transactions and 29 prospective transactions. Consequently, we envisage gross proceeds of N535.3 billion from the definite transactions. We hope to realise about N211.3 billion from prospective transactions when they are executed,” he added.

    The BPE, according to him, would review and follow up eight reform bills before the Federal Executive Council for approval.

    Dikki said the eight bills are: Railway Bill; Inland Waterways Bill; Federal Roads Authority Bill; National Roads Fund Bill; National Transport Commission Bill; Ports & Harbour Reform Bill; Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Bill; and Postal Reform Bill.

    He said the passage of the bills would lead to the abrogation of monopoly sector laws, liberalisation of the sector and setting up of regulatory agencies.

    The Director-General added: “In pursuit of the President Goodluck Jonathan Transformation Agenda, these Bills seek to create an enabling environment for private sector investments in these sectors of the economy.

    “The expected outcomes are inflows of private sector investments, job creation and economic growth. Once the Bills are enacted by the National Assembly, the regulatory agencies would then be set up.”

  • Oil workers urged to embrace dialogue

    Oil workers urged to embrace dialogue

    President, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Southwest Zone, Mr. Olumide Ogunmade, has urged oil workers’ groups to embrace dialogue in addressing the problems in the industry.

    The oil workers’ groups are Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).

    Ogunmade, who spoke against the backdrop of plans by some interest groups to embark on industrial action and force the government to change its position on issues threatening the growth of the power and petroleum sectors, said dialogue has become a global tool for settling disputes.

    He said once the parties involved in the struggle know what and why they are fighting, they would be able to enter into dialogue and resolve their differences.

    He said understanding the reasons behind struggle and promotions of unity among the relevant parties are factors needed to achieve the desired results.

    He said: ‘’Once the parties know what and why they are fighting a cause, they would be able to reach a compromise on how to go about. Members of IPMAN branch of NUPENG should try and reach a negotiation on issues fundamental to the industry.”

     

    Employment of dialogue is another weapon required to fight for the welfare of their members. When this happens, there would not be acrimony among members and peace would reign.”

    He urged members to conceive progressive ideas to win their struggles, and take the petroleum industry to a greater height.

    “What win struggles are progressive ideas laced with the right thinking and actions. Members of IPMAN should come out with ideas that are purposeful, and provable to win a cause. This would help members to achieve their goals.’’ he added.

  • Refineries: PENGASSAN, NUPENG shelve proposed strike

    Refineries: PENGASSAN, NUPENG shelve proposed strike

    The Labour unions in the oil and gas sector have shelved the proposed strike action against government’s plans to sell the nation’s refineries.

    A statement issued by PENGASSAN’s Public Relations Officer,  Seyi Gambo,  explained that the decision to put on hold the strike action was taken after a meeting between the NUPENG, PENGASSAN, Minister of Labour and Productivity and the Petroleum minister.

    According to Gambo, the meeting between the two national unions in the oil and gas sector under the auspices of NUPENGASSAN started at few minutes past 2pm and ended about 8.45pm on Tuesday.

    The meeting took place at the Ministry of Labour in Abuja.

    “The meeting had in attendance the  Minister of Labour and Productivity,  his counterpart in Petroleum Resources and  ministry aides, while the union was lead by the chairman, NUPENGASSA, president of NUPENG, Comrade Igwe Achase,” the statement reads.

    At the end of the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding was drawn and read by the Minister of Labour, Chief Emeka Wogu.

    In the MoU, the parties agreed that Federal government would not sell the refineries. They also resolved that  Turn Around Maintenance should be done on the refineries, starting with the two in Port Harcourt.

     

  • Refineries’ yo-yo

    Conflicting news about the country’s challenged oil refineries demonstrate not only pathetic confusion in the presidency but also hopeless visionlessness. Against the backdrop of a looming strike by the country’s two main oil workers’ unions, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG), over the federal government’s reported plan to privatise its four refineries, the presidency’s denial gives cause for reflection about the structures of power and how they often operate at cross-purposes.

    It is noteworthy that PENGASSAN, the 15,000-member white-collar union, according to its president, Babatunde Ogun, is scheduled for talks with officials of the Petroleum and Labour Ministries on January 7; and the group has indicated the possibility of a strike, if government does not drop the alleged intention to sell the refineries. The 30,000-member blue-collar NUPENG may also consider an industrial action, if the government does not back down, said its secretary-general, Elijah Okougbo.

    In a joint statement on December 18 last year, the unions declared that the alleged proposed sale of the refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna, is “against the overall national interest and in the interest of a few,” arguing that it “will transfer government monopoly to cartels that will dictate the market.”

    Understandably, the oil workers had grounds for concern, following a presidential audit of the plants last year that recommended their sale based on alleged inadequate state funding and “sub-optimal performance.” To add to their discomfiture, this position was apparently reinforced by Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, in an interview with Bloomberg TV Africa in London where she said, “We would like to see major infrastructure entities, such as refineries, moving out of government hands into the private sector.” Indeed, the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) has also indicated that it is preparing the guidelines for the privatisation of the refineries.

    With such alarming signals from official quarters, it would appear that the oil workers were not just crying wolf. But, strangely, the opposite is exactly what the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, would want the public to believe. According to him, “Government is not going to sell any refineries. There is no such plan and there is no presidential approval for such. Nobody, not even the minister of petroleum, has the powers to sell any government property.”

    This statement clearly contradicts the minister and the BPE, raising the question whether Abati was actually speaking for the government. Why is government seemingly speaking from both sides of the mouth? Obviously, the functions of government should not include perplexing the people, but the President Goodluck Jonathan administration probably thinks otherwise.

    It is instructive that the presidential audit identified inadequate state funding and “sub-optimal performance” as the bane of the refineries; and it is logical to assume that the one influences the other. Isn’t it puzzling that the government is not providing sufficient funding for a sector that is the country’s major revenue earner? It is sheer senselessness, especially when juxtaposed with the mind-boggling financial corruption that has come to define government business in the country.

  • TUC, NLC to curtail strikes

    TUC, NLC to curtail strikes

    The Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Nigeria and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) are to collaborate to end industrial actions in the country from 2014, President of TUC, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama has said.

    He said the two labour umbrella bodies are partnering to curb incessant strikes among their affiliates.

    He assured Nigerians and the government that incessant industrial actions witnessed during the year would be curbed as from next year.

    He said as trade union leaders, they consider strike as the last resort in industrial disputes, adding that the union will see how to resolve it next year.

    “We are going to do our best to see how we will resolve issues before it degenerated into industrial strikes,” he said.

    He regretted the prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other strikes that had paralysed the economy.

    Also on the threat by PENGASSAN to embark on strike this yuletide, Kaigama said it was a way of showing their grievances.

  • Refineries: PENGASSAN, NUPENG threaten strike

    Refineries: PENGASSAN, NUPENG threaten strike

    The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN), yesterday said it will call its members out on a strike should the government decide to proceed with its plan to privatise the refineries.

    PENGASSAN President Babatunde Ogun said the association will commence the strike in January.

    He said sister union National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) will join in the strike.

    Ogun told members of the the association at the headquarters of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, in Abuja, that the planned privatisation is an attempt to hand over the nation’s refineries to cronies of the Federal Government.

    He said that an indefinite strike will be declared in the first week of January 2014, to press home their demand on the Federal Government not to sell the nation’s refineries in the name of privatization.

    “If between now and 24th of this month (December), government does not retract that every statement that has been made has been put on hold while further engagement is made, and everything we have to do is hinged on PIB (Petroleum Industry Bill) by first week of January, be rest assured that PENGASSAN and NUPENG will go on indefinite strike.

    “You cannot sell something without a model, without Nigerians knowing exactly what you are doing…the nature in which they do business in the oil and gas industry is fraught with secrecy. There must be a retraction first and it’s what they will make public, so Nigerians will know that it is on hold,” he said.

  • Refinery privatisation: Senate urged to amend bill

    To ensure that Nigerians are favoured when the four refineries are privatised next year, experts have called for a modification of the bill on investments in the industry.

    Part 1 Section 3 of a Senate Bill 176 ensures that 50 per cent refining capacity should be domiciled in the country. The bill further states: ‘’Nigerian personnel shall constitute a minimum of 75 per cent of the investing company in the petroleum industry in accordance with the law.”

    The President, International Association of Economics Energy (IAEE), Prof Adeola Akinnisiju, said a modification of the bill was necessary in view of the proposed privatisation of Warri, Kaduna, and Port Harcourt refineries.

    He said Nigerians would have enough stakes when the refineries are privatised. ‘’I am okay by the content of the bill because it’s talking about local content initiatives,” he said.

    He, however, argued that no ground would be lost if the bill is modified. When this happens, refinery capacity and petroleum activities are going to be above 75 per cent as contained in the bill. This implies that more Nigerians are going to have controlling shareholdings in the refineries.

    ‘’At present, we depend on importation of petroleum products into the country. By modifying the bill and subsequently privatising the refineries, it means there would be increase in local participation in the industry. This, on condition that, a transparent process is adopted by the Bureau of Public Enterprises,’’ he added.

    According to him, the power sector reforms have set the tone of what to expect in the petroleum industry. The reforms, he said, have resulted in the sale and subsequent ownership of assets of defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) by Nigerians.

    ‘’We should expect a situation whereby the refineries would be own 100 per cent, once the National Assembly is able to amend the bill. Like what happened in the power sector where Nigerian companies acquired the PHCN’s assets, the same thing is expected when the refineries are privatised,’’ he added.

    Also, the Chairman, Petroleum and Gas Workers Senior Staff Association of Nigeria(PENGASSAN), Mr Folorunso Ogini said, amendment of the bill is good and capable of encouraging local initiatives. He said Nigerians would leverage on the bill to ask for more stakes when the privatisation process starts.

    He cautioned the government on the issue, noting that efforts to sell the government enterprises failed in the past.

    “What happened to the British Airways? What happened to the Nigerian Telecommunication Limited (NITEL) NICON Insurance and other publicly-owned enterprises that the government intended to sell? They are dead because the government failed to follow due process. So, the issue of refineries must be handled with caution to achieve success, ’’ he said.