The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has expressed dissatisfaction over the exclusion of key oil and gas industry leaders from the recent national honours list that recognized contributors to Nigeria's pro-democracy struggle.
PENGASSAN President Comrade Festus Osifo, while acknowledging the posthumous Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) award conferred on late NUPENG Secretary General Frank Ovie Kokori, emphasized that other significant figures from the oil sector were instrumental in Nigeria's journey to democracy but were overlooked.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, Osifo specifically highlighted former PENGASSAN President Comrade Gani Owodunni and former Secretary General Milton Dabibi as deserving recognition for their pivotal roles during the June 12 pro-democracy struggles.
"We were a bit taken aback that some of the veterans in PENGASSAN who were strong advocates and heroes of June 12 were missed from the list, among them is the former President of PENGASSAN Comrade Gani Owodunni and Comrade Milton Dabibi," Osifo stated.
Historical Significance of PENGASSAN's Resistance
Osifo recalled how PENGASSAN was proscribed in 1994 during the military regime of General Sani Abacha due to the union's refusal to end ongoing strikes despite government pressure.
"In fact, it was because they stood their ground to ensure that what was right was done. PENGASSAN was prescribed in 1994 because there was strike that was going on as at then, and they were pushed to call off the strike. The Abacha government pushed them consistently to call off the strike, but they refused. That was due to the doggedness of Comrades Owodunni and Dabibi," he explained.
President Bola Tinubu had, during his Democracy Day address to a joint session of the National Assembly on June 12, 2025, conferred posthumous awards on several pro-democracy figures including Kokori, late Kudirat Abiola, Humphrey Nwosu, Wole Soyinka, and Femi Falana, among others.
While commending President Tinubu for recognizing Chief Kokori posthumously, Osifo called on the government to "do the needful by also recognizing these our leaders, who were true heroes of June 12."
The PENGASSAN President, who also serves as President of the Trade Union Congress, congratulated Nigerians for maintaining 26 years of unbroken democracy despite numerous challenges.
"We must first of all commend Nigerians for 26 years of unbroken democracy, we salute Nigerians for being resilient in the last 26 years. We salute the courage of an average Nigerian citizen. We say well done, irrespective of the hardship, the challenges and difficulties we all face we have emerged stronger and stronger," he added.
Follow BenriNews on social media for more updates:
