PENGASSAN Targets Rancor-Free Leadership Transition in August

*Osifo, other union leaders mourn late ex-president, Johnson

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) said it has taken measures to ensure that leadership succession will no longer cause disharmony within the union..

Speaking on Saturday, at a memorial to honour the late, immediate past president of PENGASSAN, Comrade Francis Olabode Johnson the national President of the union, Engr. Fetus Osifo said the union has effected a transitional amendment that allows the Vice President to automatically replace the President when his tenure elapses, so as to avoid undue contestation that usually arise.

In line with the union’s transition schedule, the tenure of the current national executive of PENGASSAN is expected to elapse in August when the will be holding a delegate conference to elect new national officers

Osifo said that the leadership transition had over the years led to some teething issues in PENGASSAN, causing disharmony among it’s organs and membership.

He said that the current leadership of the union considered it as an avoidable distraction which can be addressed, hence the decision to adopt a transition model that discourages unnecessary contestation.

According to Osifo, the union’s search for a peaceful transition led to the consideration of the model being used br ICAN as very suitable.

He explained that under the model, the position of the president is not contested for but that of the Vice or Deputy is contested because it is the first Vice President that normally transits to become the president.

“So what we looked at, in the last three years, especially last year is that this our succession – how do we handle it in such a way that it will reduce some of the acrimony? And by the grace of God, we’ve been able to address that sufficiently.

“We did a transitional amendment that was unanimously passed in August last year where look at the best model that we can adopt in terms of succession.

“Under the model, the position of the president is not to be contested for but that of the Vice or Deputy is contested because it is the first Vice President that normally transits to become the president.

“So that balances and smoothens things and we have imbibed that in PENGASSAN. So whoever is elected the Deputy president in PENGASSAN is going to automatically become the president so there is no contestation again for the office of the president. Because that is known it reduces the tension that normally comes with the leadership transition.

“So that balances and smoothens things and we have imbibed that in PENGASSAN. So whoever is elected the Deputy president in PENGASSAN is going to automatically become the next president. So there is no contestation again for the office of the president. Because that is known, it reduces the tension that normally comes with the leadership transition,” he said.

Osifo said though there maybe some resentments and agitations by some members, but that as far as all the organs of the union are concerned, they are united and are on one page .

Osifo said that one of the legacies that his leadership will be leaving behind is the culture of transparency and comradeship.

His words: “Our transition is going to be in August and usually two years before transition you will see trouble everywhere but that is not the case now, I can tell you, there is hundred percent stability within the union.

“The Central Working Committee (CWC) is intact, the transition is going smoothly and there is no issue as at today whatsoever and that’s one of the legacies we will bequeath to PENGASSAN.

“My prayer is that whichever leadership that comes after ours should outshine us in everything we have done, that gives me happiness.

While paying tribute to late Olabode Johnson, the PENGASSAN president said one of the best to ways to honour deserving past leaders, is to ensure that the legacies they left behind are preserved and imbibed.

“When a leader passes on, what one should do is to look at positive attributes of such leaders and try to imbibe them because that is the best way to immortalize such leaders.

“So today, we are here to celebrate the life and times of our past president, Comrade Francis Olabode Johnson for his outstanding leadership qualities,” he said.

He praised the late Johnson’s wife for taking good care of the children he left behind.

Many top leaders of PENGASSAN, including the former president of the union, Comrade Brown Ogbeifun who joined Osifo to honour their late Comrade, described Olabode Johnson as a very generous and dedicated union leader.