PENGASSAN Explains Delegates Conference …Elects New Exco

The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) branch
of  the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior
Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), has
concluded the activities to mark its special delegates conference held
in Port Harcourt recently.

In a statement at the event the union’s National President,
Comrade Babatunde Ogun said the special delegates conference was necessitated
due to the dissolution of the former branch executive council of the Union
three months ago from the oath of office principles and guiding ethics of the
union.

The President said the National secretariat took remediation
process and other measures to ensure the restoration of dignity and enviable
legacy within the union.

The PENGASSAN’s boss extolled the virtues of the former
union leaders especially late Comrade Lambert Ogolo who used his relationship
with General Yakubu Gowon to facilitate the union registration.

He said, “the National Secretariat on the 9th of May 2012
set up a Care-Taker Committee (CTC) with the mandate to manage the affairs of
the branch and conduct a fresh delegates conference within the specified
months.

Comrade Ogun said that the intervention by the National
Executive Council (NEC) and the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the union
was in response to the dampened faith and restiveness of members  which required that the unit strays and drift
sets of paid staff, provided office structures and operational vehicles within
the limited fund in his tenure.

He emphasised that Shell branch of the Union was one of the
key pioneers of the Union unit that has played a lot of developmental role
model in the Union through exemplary, principled and visionary leadership.

Also speaking at the occasion, the CTC Chairman, Comrade
(Mrs) Millicent Omunakwe said the CTC
was saddled with the responsibility to rebuild sound industrial
relations practice in the branch to engender highly motivated work force so
that the Shell management will be pleased too as it is a collective bargain for
the mutual benefit of all”.

“An injury to one is injury to all” she said, stressed that
the CTC has raised up the paradigm, changed the game’s standard to achieve
results.

Comrade Omunakwe said her leadership has laid a new
foundation for transparency and integrity at running the Union for
sustainability, restored member’s confidence and challenged the union members
to elect focused leaders that will employ rational argument to sustain empathy
persuasion and supports the union’s cause.

She said the CTC has recovered the sum of seven hundred
thousand naira (N700,000) out of the one million two hundred and seventy thousand
naira (N1,270,000) from the former Branch Executive Committee (BEC) elected in
September 2011 and dissolved in May 2012.

Comrade Omunakwe said the CTC rejected the issue of League
Buy-Out policy of the Shell’s management after wider consultation with all her
members in all the three chapters, Port Harcourt, Warri and Lagos.

However, at the end of the special delegates conference, new
executive officers were elected for the union. They include Comrade (Mrs) Sarah
Adeogu Ajose chairman, Comrade Olan Debane Vice chairman, Comrade Johnson
Nwankwo secretary and Comrade Mrs Millicent Omunakwe  as ex-officio.

Philip Okparaji