The national chairman of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Festus Osifo, has been accused of engaging in undemocratic conduct and violating the constitution.
In a petition seen by The Cable, some members of PENGASSAN, who identify with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) branch of PENGASSAN, complained about unresolved and persistent issues.
In the petition addressed to the Registrar of Trade Unions, the Ministry of Labour and Productivity, the aggrieved individuals also raised concerns about the conduct of the General Secretary of PENGASSAN, Lumumba Okugbawa.
The branch members urged the federal government to intervene in the concerns raised about the leadership of PENGASSAN.
“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 reads.
The group said that despite its efforts, “numerous letters and correspondence” have been met with utter disregard and non-responsiveness.
“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, especially as it pertains to the rights of branches, democratic engagement, and internal dispute resolution.
“We are compelled to escalate this matter to your esteemed office, being the regulatory authority overseeing trade union administration in Nigeria, to intervene appropriately and safeguard the integrity of trade unionism, internal democracy, and due process within PENGASSAN,” the petition further reads.
The group, comprising over 523 members (more than two-thirds majority) of the NMDPRA branch, had accused the PENGASSAN leaders of interfering in the electoral process of the NMDPRA chapter.
According to documents, the group had rejected the appointment of the caretaker committee (CTC) by the national leadership for the chapter, which it said was without a proper election.
They said the association’s leadership reached out to the NMDPRA branch, via a letter dated June 27, that it had constituted a “Caretaker Committee to run the affairs of the Branch”.
However, the NMDPRA branch kicked against the move, describing it as “entirely wrong”, “unacceptable”, and “unconstitutional”.
