Oil and Gas
PTD-NUPENG Election: National Chairman, other executive members emerge
The Petroleum Tanker Drivers, PTD branch of the Nigeria Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG on Wednesday in Lagos elected a new set of National Executives to run the affairs of the union.
The exercise held in an atmosphere of peace and was rancour free all through prompting the NUPENG President to boast that the union has shown the world that there is no crack in the union anywhere.
The election which produced Comrade Augustine Egbon was a product of Special Delegates Conference and was to run the affairs of the union of junior workers in the downstream oil sector for a term of four years.
CAPITAL POST reports that Comrade Egbon defeated his opponent, Lucky Osesua who stayed away from venue of the election.
Comrade Oluchi Chinagorom from PortHarcourt zone of the Union will serve as National Secretary in the election which equally produced Comrades Lawan Garba, Mathias Ote, Dauda Olabisi and Olaolu Akinmuyise, as national Vice Chairman, Kaduna, Warri, Lagos and Port Harcourt zones of the PTD- NUPENG, respectively.
The duo of Comrades Malut Abubakar and Odinakachi Nwafor emerged as First Deputy National Chairman and Second Deputy National Chairman, respectively.
Checks revealed that the election conducted on Wednesday was in compliance with judgment of Justice O Y Anuwe of the National Industrial Court,( NIC) in Abuja which on May 29, 2024, annulled previous election of the union held in Ibadan, last October.
In dissolving the national officers elected at the last October election, Justice Anuwe had ordered that NUPENG should set up an Electoral Committee to organise a new national delegates conference within four months. The Judge also instructed that NUPENG Constitution and the PTD Bye Laws should be followed in conducting the new election.
In his address before the commencement of voting, Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Comrade Solomon Kilanko declared that the process was non discriminatory in line with the judgment of the NIC, Abuja.
He said: “The judgment also demands that the election to be conducted should be all inclusive and non discriminatory.
“To this end,the electoral Committee notified all members that no one is barred from participating in this election and in addition, the list of delegates that are eligible today is still the same list that was used for October 31st, 2023 election in Ibadan to ensure that all those suspended after the election are allowed to participate in this election.”
In his acceptance speech, the new chairman, Comrade Egbon, thanked stakeholders in the union for ensuring a smooth conduct of the fresh election. Egbon restated his stance that the PTD would not severe its relationship with its umbrella body, the NUPENG while also offering an olive branch to its aggrieved members.
He said: “I give thanks to God Almighty for making this election possible for us again. I thank the security personnel assured adequate security. I thank our leaders in NUPENG, who did all that were necessary to guarantee a smooth election.
“There is no faction in PTD, all of us are one. We are one with NUPENG.”
National President of NUPENG, Comrade Williams Akporeha, spoke in similar vein as he declared that “NUPENG has shown to the world that NUPENG, PTD is one. There is no division anywhere.”
In attendance to monitor the process where sixteen national officers were elected were Registrar of Trade Union of Nigeria, Mr Amos Falonipe; Barrister Segun Arowolo from the Legal Department of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and President of NARTO, Alhaji Yusuf Othman.
The Nigeria Liquefied Gas on Friday called for energy security to be made a national priority through proactive measure in a manner that the infrastructure and critical assets are protected for the sustainable growth of the oil and gas industry.
Speaking at a panel session titled “Driving Cross-Continental Investments: Scaling Africa’s Energy Frontier” at the 8th Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES), the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NLNG, Philip Mshelbila stated that there were growing concerns over gas infrastructure security, stressing that while improvements have been recorded in securing oil assets, that gas infrastructure remains vulnerable, and without adequate protection which will lead to underperformance in the industry.
Mshelbina stated that NLNG was focused on boosting both domestic and regional energy access, adding that the company was making smaller-scale investments to retain more gas for local consumption. He noted that a major step in this direction was NLNG’s decision to domesticate 100% of its Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) supply for the Nigerian market.
Beyond the domestic market, Mshelbila remarked that the Company was also working towards enhancing regional energy security. He revealed that, as part of the Train 7 project, the company was constructing a third jetty to support small-scale vessels in supplying gas across Africa’s coastal markets.
Additionally, he said the company was supporting the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) in connecting Bonny Island to the mainland to facilitate LPG trucking, thereby strengthening domestic gas distribution. This initiative is expected to boost West Africa’s energy distribution network, positioning NLNG as a key player in the region’s energy landscape, he noted.
Mshelbila also emphasised the need for clear and consistent regulatory frameworks to attract long-term investments.
Through proactive methane reduction, low-carbon innovations, and impactful social initiatives, Mshelbila remarked that NLNG’s commitment to local content and sustainability aligned with global energy transition priorities, stating that NLNG was building investor confidence and demonstrating long-term value.
The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji has said, the sum of $200 billion is needed to be injected into Nigeria’s gas infrastructure for its development and maximization of the natural resources as the ninth largest gas producer in the world as number one in Africa.
He pointed this out in the 2021 – 2023 reports on Oil, Gas and Solid Minerals presented to the Public Accounts Committee chaired by Senator Aliyu Wadada Ahmed, saying the required infrastructure for maximization of gas resources in the country are not there.
He said, there was need for the injection of $20 billion yearly into gas infrastructure for a period of ten years for construction of gas pipelines along and across West African sub-region, and beyond which is a huge expenditure”, he said.
Orji said: “In Nigeria, what we need, is to invest in gas infrastructure to evacuate gas as our study shows that we need an initial investment of $20 billion annually for 10 years to be able to generate the kind of gas infrastructure required to provide gas for the whole of Africa and beyond.
A member of Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Abdul Ningi asked, “what NEITI is doing on alleged $8.5billion unremitted into the consolidated revenue fund by Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Federal Inland Revenue Service and Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission in 2023”, the NEITI boss said the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC , is already probing the agencies involved.
Senate panel were further irked by the submission in the NEITI’s report that less than 1% of solid minerals is remitted into Federal Government’s Consolidated Revenue Fund account.
Chairman of Senate Committee on Public Accounts, speaking on remittances of Solid Minerals into the Consolidated Revenue Fund decried the less than 1% contribution of proceeds from the sector on yearly basis.
Other members were unanimous that, NEITI’s report on solid minerals, is not reflective of what is going on in the solid mineral sector.
They wondered why only States like Ogun, Osun, Kogi, Edo, Ebonyi, Rivers, Cross Rivers and FCT, were mentioned in the report excluding Nasarawa , Zamfara , Kebbi , Plateau, Bauchi etc .
Specifically the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Wadada described the less than one 1% contribution of solid minerals to GDP as quite ridiculous and unacceptable.
“This definitely must not continue, there must be complete overhaul of the sector “, he said
Oil and Gas
Niger Tanker Explosion: NUPENG urges government to repair roads, senditise citizens on danger of fuel scooping
The national secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has urged the Federal Government to repair roads to avert tanker tragedies across the country.
NUPENG made the call in reaction to the recent tragic tanker explosion in Suleja, Niger State.
A statement jointly signed by Williams Akporeha and Olawale Afolabi, respectively, President and General Secretary stated that the union was “deeply saddened by the loss of lives, the destruction of properties, and the injuries sustained by many in this devastating incident.”
The statement, issued to newsmen in Abuja on Sunday, also appealed to the Federal Government to urgently address the poor condition of federal roads.
The statement read in part: “The Union takes this opportunity to urgently appeal to the Federal Government to repair bad roads to prevent such incidents and to intensify efforts in sensitising the public about the dangers of scooping fuel from petroleum truck accidents.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their loved ones during this traumatic and challenging time.”
NUPENG further sppealed to the Federal Government to take urgent steps to repair federal roads which it noted were in bad shape.
It also tasked the Federal Government to mandate its relevant agencies to seize the initiative towards sensitising Nigerians on the danger of scooping fuel from scenes of petrol tanker accidents.
The statement further reads in part:”The Union takes this opportunity to urgently appeal to the Federal government to repazir bad roads to prevent such incidents and to intensify efforts in sensitizing the public about the dangers of scooping fuel from accidental situations of petroleum trucks on highways.
“As a responsible organization, NUPENG collaborates annually with relevant agencies, including the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Police, and State Traffic Management agencies, to train our drivers on road safety. The Union is committed to continuously training and retraining our members on best driving and safety practices.
“We stand in solidarity with the affected families and the entire Dikko community in Niger State. We commend the emergency responders who bravely extinguished the fire and rescued many injured victims.
“We urge all relevant authorities to provide the necessary support and medical care to those injured and to take measures to prevent future tragedies.
“May the souls of the departed rest in peace, and may their families find the strength to bear these irreparable losses.”
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