Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) is canvassing for the review of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act to further guard against abuse in the industry.
Against this background, the oil workers have called on the Federal Government to constitute a special review committee made up of industry stakeholders.
The stakeholders, according to PENGASSAN, should include the Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, labour unions, among others, to undertake the review of the local content policy.
This was part of the resolutions reached at the end of the National Executive Council (NEC) of PENGASSAN, which recently held in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
In a communiqué signed by Ndukaku Ohaeri, and Lumumba Okugbawa, president and general secretary, of PENGASSAN, respectively, the oil workers also argued that if the local content policy must be strictly complied with, there is the need for the government to exert appropriate sanction (s) against defaulting employers in the industry.
The workers equally backed the House of Representatives’ plan to investigate the implementation of the local content involvement in the sector, saying such will enable the country and stakeholders in the oil industry determine the level of compliance with the Nigerian Oil and Gas Content Development Act.
“The NEC advises that the issue bordering on the NOGICD Act, should not be limited to the name or material components of jobs alone but should be on increasing the number of Nigerian employees and transfer of knowledge, especially those in top Management positions,” the communiqué read.
The union equally decried the behaviour of some management of some companies in the industry in relation to the provision of the labour law “especially with reference to victimisation of union leaders who engaged in legitimate businesses of the union and warned erring management in the industry to desist.
It warned that the union would not delay in reacting appropriately and proportionately against such maltreatments to its members, going forward.
They also called for the review of guidelines and procedures for staff release in Nigeria oil and gas industry
The union, nevertheless, commended the Federal Government for the review of the guidelines and procedure of staff release in the Nigeria oil and gas industry.
It urged the DPR to follow through with the implementation and compliance of oil and gas companies to this new regulation without compromise.
“This is important to protect the jobs of Nigerians and strengthen the national manpower skill base in the industry,” said the labour union.
—
