Expedite Action on PIB – PENGASSAN Urges FG, N/Assembly

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), has urged the Federal Government and the National Assembly to expedite action on the Petroleum Industry Administration Bill, the Petroleum Industry Fiscal Bill and the Petroleum Host Community Bill to ensure the delivery of the full benefits of the intended Oil and Gas Reforms.

According to a May Day message to the workers signed by the Union’s President, Mr. Francis Olabode Johnson and General Secretary, Mr. Lumumba Ighotemu Okugbawa, there should be a legal framework allocating certain percentage of the production by International Oil Companies (IOC)’s operating in Nigeria for refining in the through a policy that would compel them to build refineries in Nigeria.

The union commended the eighth National Assembly for passing the first part of the PIB, known as the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB). This, according to the union, is a feat that could not be achieved by four generations of National Assembly in 13 years.

The union also expressed its displeasure against the contract and casual employment as well as off-shoring of jobs, saying that such employment is tactically taking over permanent employment and increasing unemployment in Nigeria while most jobs that domicile in Nigeria are done outside the country.

“Government should step up security of lives as well as oil and gas infrastructures, curb pipeline vandalism and the attendant crude oil and petroleum products theft, ensuring optimal functioning of the refineries to increase local refining, provision of investment friendly environment for private investors in the downstream sector to encourage investment and drive down job losses in the oil and gas operations in the country”.

The union called for a stakeholders’ forum for the purpose of holistically examining the challenges confronting the nation’s oil and gas industry and proffer solutions to the problems.