By Obinna Uballa
Fresh crisis is brewing within the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), as some members have accused the association’s national president, Festus Osifo, of “undemocratic conduct and constitutional violations.”
In a petition to the Registrar of Trade Unions at the Ministry of Labour and Productivity, seen by TheCable, the members also raised allegations against Lumumba Okugbawa, the association’s general secretary.
The petitioners, who belong to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) branch of PENGASSAN, alleged that the national leadership had disregarded their repeated efforts to resolve lingering issues affecting their branch, it was gathered.
“As a branch under the PENGASSAN structure, we have made several efforts to engage the national leadership constructively on matters affecting our members and the proper administration of our branch in line with the constitution of our union,” the petition read.
They accused Osifo and Okugbawa of flouting the union’s constitution, suppressing internal democracy, and abusing their offices. “The continuous actions and inactions of the national leadership amount to an abuse of office and a gross violation of the provisions of the PENGASSAN constitution,” they added.
The branch, which claims to have over 523 members, more than two-thirds of its membership, also accused the national leaders of illegally interfering in its electoral process.
According to documents sighted by TheCable, the NMDPRA branch rejected the appointment of a caretaker committee (CTC) imposed by the national leadership in June.
In a June 27 letter, the PENGASSAN leadership informed the branch that a CTC had been constituted to manage its affairs. But the branch kicked against the decision, describing it as “entirely wrong, unacceptable, and unconstitutional.”
Frustrated by the lack of response from the Central Working Committee (CWC), the branch members resolved to conduct their own election. They subsequently petitioned the Minister of Labour and Employment, who, in an August 15 letter, urged them to maintain calm and suspend the election while the ministry engaged all parties to resolve the dispute.
However, the branch claimed the CWC ignored the minister’s directive and went ahead to inaugurate the CTC, a move they described as “continued non-compliance and unconstitutional acts.”
The petitioners urged the federal government to intervene in order to “safeguard the integrity of trade unionism, internal democracy, and due process within PENGASSAN.”
