PENGASSAN Members Fall Ill Over Sales Of Giant Oil Company, As 3000 Jobs Are Threatened

Some members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) have reportedly fallen sick over the news of the sales of Eni Nigeria and the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) Limited to Oando Plc.

The senior oil and gas workers have expressed displeasure at Oando’s acquisition of 100 percent shares of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited and Eni Nigeria’s outright sale of its 20 percent equity share in NAOC JV.

The Branch Chairman of Agip Group PENGASSAN in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, Eyong Survival, has revealed that ever since the news broke a few days ago, some staff of the association has been falling sick because about 3000 jobs are on the line because the details of the acquisition is not known to the union.

He said the acquisition was unfair, as the union was not informed or interfaced with.

Survival recounted that the union had met with the company’s management when the sale of NAOC JV assets to Oando filtered into the public domain, but the managing director allegedly denied the existence of such.

He, therefore, threatened a total shutdown and to withdraw all its members from offices and field locations over the issue while calling on the management of Eni to do the needful.

According to The Punch, Survival stated that “The Managing Director of Eni Nigeria, Mr. Fabrizio Bolondi, invited the workforce to a meeting on the 4th of September, 2023, and callously informed us that Eni has sold its 20 per cent equity share in NAOC JV, comprising OML 60, 61, 62 & 63, covering parts of Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, and Imo States to Oando Nigeria Limited, transferring all her assets and liabilities to O and O, without recourse to outstanding financial obligations to the workers, vis-avis their employee savings plan, pension and gratuity.

“It is imperative to note that the Union, being the workers’ representative, was not pre-informed before the commencement of the sales agreement.

“Not long from date, the Union, on hearing rumours on sales of the assets, held a meeting with the Management on 12 July 2023, where the question was put forward to Eni Nigeria Management if they had any plan of selling the NAOC JV assets to O and O or any other Company, but the managing director vehemently denied any plan of selling the JV assets.

“Instead, the MD made presentations on planned injection of IPP phase 2 generated power to the national grid, as well as possible conversion of OPL 245 to OML by the Government.

“By the announcement of the sale of NAOC JV assets to OANDO, over 3000 indigenous workers may be thrown into the labour market as the details of their sales transaction were not made known.

“At the moment, a lot of NAOC workers have suddenly developed some health challenges as a result of that callous announcement made by the MD of Eni Nigeria.

“The union position is for due process to be followed by Eni Management. The Union has ordered a total withdrawal of her members from all offices and field locations of the company until a proper agreement is reached with Eni Nigeria and AGIP Group PENGASSAN.

“By that withdrawal action, gas supply to Indoranma has been affected, daily oil production on 30, 000nbbls of crude oil has been suspended, about 10mscf of LNG gas to NLNG has been cut off, and about 350MW of Okpai IPP power to the national grid has been shut down.”