Nigeria and its investment partners are losing over 60 million dollars daily to crude oil theft, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria,(PENGASSAN) has said.
The President of PENGASSAN, who is also the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Festus Osifo dropped the hint at the opening ceremony of the ongoing PENGASSAN, Energy and Labour Summit 2022 in Abuja, stating that if the situation continues, the country would find it difficult to achieve the needed transition in oil and gas industry.
He said “there is an increasing number of women taking decisions in the oil and gas industry as was not seen in years before”, questioning that, ” how can workers use all these information to better their lives and the relations at large”.
The President further said, ” what are the additional skills required that today employees will develop in order to keep performing optimality now and in the future “.
He said as much as the nation advocate that every global region be allowed to transit at its own pace, the country mustn’t lose focus on the reality of today that would shape tomorrow’s future.
He reassured the gathering that PENGASSAN under his leadership will remain committed to promoting the ideals of the forbeerers, adding that PENGASSAN will remain key nation-builders and advocates of policies that serve the general good..
The President said the purpose of the summit was to brainstorm on how the transition can be best sailed and how it will affect the workforce that are the most important asset and by extension their families and descendants and how it can birth maximum value to the nation.
Presenting a paper titled: ” The Roles of Oil Workers in the Myth and Realties Behind Crude Oil Theft in Nigeria “, the former president of PENGASSAN, Dr. Brown Ogbeifun said from 2016, Nigeria has lost about 1.5 trillion to vandalism on Nigeria Petroleum Development Corporation (NPDC).
He stated that crude oil theft in Nigeria seemed to be taken as a way of life, as he said they (the thieves) are often called ” big boys” in the society.
He wondered why oil thieves are not punished and sanctioned like other criminals in the country, saying unless the people say enough is enough, Nigeria may not come out of the present economic woes.
” We worship those who have the money, but never mind how they got the money”, he said.
