PENGASSAN denies involvement in PPPRA’s leadership crisis

Oil workers, under the aegis of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), have denied supporting any of the two parties currently occupying the position of the acting Executive Secretary at the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).

The denial came on the heels of a publication in one of the national dailies (not The Guardian) alleging that the national body of PENGASSAN called on the Federal Government to recognise Mr. Moses Mbaba as the acting Executive Secretary.

But reacting to the report, the union said it at no time supported any of the two personalities who are currently occupying the position as reported in the daily, saying that it just demanded for a strong structure without confusion in the agency.

According to a statement signed by its Acting General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, PENGASSAN does not have any interest on who is appointed the acting Executive Secretary of PPPRA but what is concerned about is having a single authority in the agency.

He said; “The former Executive Secretary handed over to Mr. Mbaba as the acting Executive Secretary being the most senior officer in the Agency, while Mrs. Sotonye Iyoyo was also introduced as the acting Executive Secretary; thereby making two Executive Secretaries in acting capacity.

“There was no time we preferred any of them as the acting Executive Secretary. We do not mind wherever the acting Executive Secretary comes from, we are only concerned that there should be a single point of authority as our members and other staffs are confused on their reporting line.

“We have written a letter to the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources seeking his intervention on a resolution to this and appealed that a clear pronouncement be made on who the acting Executive Secretary is or name a substantive Executive Secretary for PPPRA due to the sensitive nature of the Agency’s functions and activities which are crucial to the socio-economy of Nigeria.”