•Says constitutional reforms, transparency have positioned union for seamless August handover

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has institutionalised a peaceful leadership succession process,  following sweeping constitutional reforms designed to eliminate rancour, promote stability and ensure seamless transfer of power within the union.

President of PENGASSAN, Comrade Festus Osifo, said the reforms have transformed the union’s transition process, describing them as one of the defining legacies of his administration ahead of the union’s national leadership handover in August.

Osifo disclosed this in Abuja during a memorial service marking the seventh anniversary of the passing of former PENGASSAN president, Comrade Francis Olabode Johnson.

According to him, the reforms have delivered remarkable results, with the union witnessing unprecedented unity and stability,   despite the impending leadership transition.

“Our transition is going to be in August and usually, two years before transition you would begin to see trouble everywhere, but that is not the case now,” Osifo said.

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“I can tell you there is 100 percent stability within the union. The Central Working Committee (CWC) is intact; the transition is going smoothly and there is no issue whatsoever. That is one of the legacies we will bequeath to PENGASSAN.”

He explained that the breakthrough followed a constitutional amendment unanimously adopted by members in August last year after the union studied best practices for leadership succession.

The new arrangement, modelled after the succession system of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), makes the office of the Deputy President the only elective position in the succession chain, with the Deputy President automatically succeeding to the presidency at the expiration of the incumbent’s tenure.

“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 leadership transition,” Osifo said.

He noted that the reform was informed by the unique character of PENGASSAN, whose members are professionals drawn from across the oil and gas industry.

“PENGASSAN was created in 1978 and is one of the foremost trade unions in Nigeria, with some of the best brains in every professional calling as its members. When you have an assembly of intelligent people, everyone has his or her own ideas, and there will naturally be contestation of ideas.

“Over the years, that created some teething issues during leadership transitions. We looked at how to handle succession in a way that would reduce acrimony and, by the grace of God, we have been able to address that sufficiently”, he stated.

Osifo said beyond ensuring peaceful succession, his administration would also be remembered for entrenching transparency, comradeship and unwavering commitment to members’ welfare.

“The major focus in trade unionism is to protect the jobs of our members and enhance their pay and, by the grace of God, we have been able to do that,” he stressed.

“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.”

Reflecting on the life of the late Francis Olabode Johnson, Osifo said the greatest tribute to departed leaders is to uphold the ideals they stood for.

“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.”

Also speaking at the memorial, former PENGASSAN General Secretary, Comrade Lumumba Okugbawa, called on Nigerians to embrace selfless leadership, integrity and sacrifice, stressing that enduring leadership is measured by service and impact rather than position.

“Great leaders are remembered not by the positions they occupied but by the values they upheld and the lives they transformed,” he said.

According to him, leadership is a sacred responsibility that demands courage, humility and commitment to the common good.

“The progress of every nation, institution or community is the product of men and women who placed collective interest above personal ambition. Sacrifice is not a sign of weakness; it is the highest expression of commitment.”

He urged leaders at all levels to focus on building lasting legacies through service, adding that history ultimately remembers those who positively transformed the lives of others.

“Leadership is not measured by how many people follow you, but by how many people stand taller because you led them. Sacrifice is not about what you lose; it is about what others gain because you chose to serve.”