PENGASSAN: We Support Deregulation, Not N145 Per Litre

by Tony Akowe ,
President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Comrade Francis Olabode Johnson has said unions in the oil and gas sector have not endorsed the recent N145 price of Premium Motor Spirit known as petrol.
Speaking with newsmen at the NLC secretariat in Abuja after a joint press conference of the NLC and TUC, Johnson said the two unions in the sector merely supported the deregulation of down stream sector with a proviso that government must immediately engage all stakeholders in the nation’s economy to find a way forward.
Johnson however expressed the fear that the fictionalization of the Nigeria Labour Congress may affect effective negotiation with government on the way forward, pointing out that labour must find a way of presenting a common position on all issues.
He said oil unions were also opposed to allowing the deregulation of the industry to be driven by import, pointing out that government must also find a way of ensuring that the nation’s refineries are working at optimal capacity, while the construction of new one must be made a priority.
He maintained that the government must also have the political will to drive the process of deregulation just like it did in the telecom sector, pointing out that it is unfortunate that the Petroleum Industry Bill is yet to be passed into law.