Di Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, wey dem dey call PENGASSAN, don finally settle di wahala wey dey always come during leadership change. According to di union president, Comrade Festus Osifo, di reform na one of di main legacies wey im administration go leave behind.
Osifo yarn dis one on Saturday for Abuja, during a memorial event to mark seven years since di death of former PENGASSAN president, late Comrade Francis Olabode Johnson. Johnson die on May 31, 2019, for National Hospital, Abuja, after brief sickness.
Osifo tok say, “He passed on suddenly, and PENGASSAN was thrown into some level of confusion. When a leader passes on, you keep running from pillar to post. After his death, we picked ourselves up together and have been able to journey on.”
Di president explain say di best way to honour departed leaders na to follow their good ways. “When a leader passes on, what one should do is to look at the positive attributes of such a leader and try to imbibe them because that is the best way to immortalise such leaders. Today, we are here to celebrate the life and times of our past president, Comrade Francis Olabode Johnson,” Osifo talk.
PENGASSAN, wey dem establish for 1978, na one of Nigeria leading trade unions, full of highly skilled professionals from oil and gas industry. Osifo note say with many intelligent people, contestation of ideas dey always happen, and dis create teething issues during leadership transitions.
So, di union undertake constitutional reforms to make succession smooth. Last August, dem unanimously adopt amendment wey introduce new model, similar to wetu Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) dey use. Under di model, di office of president no longer dey contested. Instead, members contest for Deputy President, wey go automatically become president. Dis reduce tension and acrimony wey usually accompany leadership change.
Osifo say di new arrangement don already show positive results ahead of di union forthcoming transition for August. “Ordinarily, two years before a transition, you would begin to see crises everywhere, but that is not the case now. I can tell you there is 100 per cent stability within the union. The Central Working Committee (CWC) is intact, the transition is progressing smoothly, and there is no issue whatsoever. That is one of the legacies we will leave behind,” Osifo tok.
He add say im administration also hope to leave lasting culture of transparency and comradeship. “My prayer is that the leadership that comes after ours will outshine us in everything we have done. That gives me happiness. PENGASSAN is actually easy to lead because when members know you are doing the right thing, they will support you.”
Meanwhile, former General Secretary of PENGASSAN, Comrade Lumumba Okugbawa, urge Nigerians to embrace selfless leadership, integrity and sacrifice. Im say true leadership na about service, character and positive impact. For di same memorial event, Okugbawa say di gathering no be just to honour individual but celebrate legacy of service and commitment to humanity.
“Great leaders are remembered not by the positions they occupied but by the values they upheld and the lives they transformed,” Okugbawa yarn. Im maintain say leadership no be power or personal gain, but responsibility to serve others and make decisions wey positively shape lives of followers.
Okugbawa further stress say enduring leadership no fit exist without sacrifice. Every meaningful achievement require people to put collective interests above personal ambition. “Progress in nations, institutions and communities has always depended on men and women willing to sacrifice personal comfort for the greater good.”
Im also challenge citizens to reflect on legacy dem go leave behind. “Leadership should be measured by impact rather than titles. Influence may be temporary, but integrity endures long after public office has changed hands.” Okugbawa encourage Nigerians to lead with humility, courage and selflessness, and say leadership ultimately na about number of lives positively transformed, not number of followers.
