From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
Members of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have elected the president of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Festus Osifo, as their new President-General in just concluded elections.
Osifo, who polled 688 votes to defeat his rival, Oyikan Olasanoye who polled 18 votes was announced the winner of the election conducted Wednesday, during the two-day 12th Triennial National Delegates’ Conference of the Congress held in Abuja.
The new TUC President, who is a member of the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), Council of Registered Engineers of Nigeria (COREN) and Society for Petroleum Engineers (SPE), will be running the affairs of the Congress for the next three years.
Announcing the results of the election at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, the venue of the delegates conference, the Returning Officer, Shehu Mohammed said that a total of 728 delegates participated in the election with Osifo garnering 688 votes, Olasanoye polling 18 votes and 22 invalid votes.
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The conference was held despite a court injunction suspending it by some disgruntled associate unions of the TUC over issues surrounding the election of a new president.
The trial judge, Justice Gwandu, of the National Industrial Court, Lagos Division made the order in a suit filed by the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions and nine other associations against the TUC.
However, speaking shortly after he was declared winner, Osifo said all issues had been resolved.
He promised to continue committing to fighting for the welfare of the masses as well as the protection of the interest of every Nigerian worker.
The new TUC boss further lauded the efforts of the past leaders of the Congress for “laying a solid foundation on which the body thrives” and vowed to sustain the vision.”
He also promised to carry everyone along in his quest for a greater TUC while also pledging to “initiate a platform to resolve agitations of all aggrieved comrades.”
Speaking earlier, the former President-General of the TUC, Quadri Olaleye, expressed worry over the huge number of states that were still owing pensions, salaries and allowances in arrears after collecting refund, bailout funds, budget support funds and the Paris debt refund.
Olaleye described the claim by the governors that they had no money to pay, whereas they had money to pay their predecessors and also fund their own interest as a “reckless lifestyle.”
“We condemned it and demand that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission(ICPC) investigate and bring the governors to book.
“It is our thought that paying retirees their entitlement will assist to curb corruption because when people know that they will get their entitlements when they retire, it will check stealing.
“For those of them withholding the contributory pension deductions from workers’ salaries without remitting same to their Pension Fund Administration (PFAs), we warn that it is illegal and attracts some penalties,” he stated.