…If your company is cheating you, PENGASSAN will fight it,” he declared.
By: Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja.
The newly elected President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Comrade Bosun Olabiyi-Agoro, has vowed to tackle the abuse of contract staffing and casualisation in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, declaring that workers who have remained on the same job for years can no longer be treated as temporary employees. Olabiyi-Agoro made the declaration on Saturday, August 22, 2026, in his acceptance speech at the 1st Quadrennial National Delegate Conference of PENGASSAN, held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
The new PENGASSAN president said the union was not opposed to contract staffing as a legitimate employment practice, but insisted that it must be implemented in line with international standards and not used as a tool to exploit, marginalise or deny workers their rights.
“We are not averse to contract staffing, but it must be practised the way it is done everywhere in the world.
A job that someone has been doing for over two years, five years, 10 years, even 20 years or more cannot be categorised as a temporary position anymore,” he said.
According to him, the era in which management deploys contract staffing as a strategy to “molest workers, cause marginalisation and save cost” is over.
He described the growing practice of contract staffing and casualisation as a menace in the oil and gas industry and warned that the issue would receive sustained attention from his administration.
“This is becoming a health and safety matter in our various locations and offices, and we will interrogate this matter with every resource available to us,” he declared.
Olabiyi-Agoro also pledged to make job protection, workers’ welfare and membership expansion a major priority of his administration, particularly amid divestments, business restructuring, automation and the energy transition.
He promised that no PENGASSAN member would be left behind, stressing that the union would negotiate for just transition agreements, retraining and redeployment whenever employment was threatened. “Safety, welfare and dignity will remain non-negotiable,” he said.
The new president also welcomed the increasing recruitment activities by companies in the oil and gas sector, saying the trend should continue as industry activities expand.
The PENGASSAN president further pledged to ensure that collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) reached between workers and management are respected and implemented.
He said his administration would engage management as partners rather than enemies, but would resist injustice “peacefully, lawfully and powerfully.”
“Agreements signed must be agreements kept,” Olabiyi-Agoro said, adding that timely communication and the principle of “no surprises” would remain central to industrial relations. Training, Women Empowerment, Welfare.
He also promised increased investment in digital skills, leadership development and mentorship, while assuring women and young professionals of greater participation in decision-making within the association. According to him, PENGASSAN would continue to improve the remuneration and welfare of its staff and maintain an open relationship with the media.
“The future of oil, gas and renewables must have PENGASSAN fingerprints on it,” he said.
Olabiyi-Agoro pledged to strengthen internal democracy, financial transparency and branch support, while building on the unity achieved under the immediate past president, Comrade Festus Osifo.
He commended Osifo for what he described as a remarkable six-year tenure that strengthened PENGASSAN and improved its standing in government and the oil and gas industry.
He said the peaceful conduct of zonal delegates conferences, special delegates conferences and National Executive Council meetings under Osifo demonstrated the progress made in building unity within the association.
“We will continue on this and we will reach out to as many as will be willing to accept our hands of fellowship among the very few that may still feel aggrieved,” he said.
On the image of the association, the new president pledged to build on initiatives introduced by the past administration and position PENGASSAN as a household name and an organisation that contributes beyond traditional trade union activities.
He promised continued support for Nigerians in need, community development initiatives and participation in the socio-economic development of communities where members and companies operate.
He also pledged to strengthen the association’s presence on social media to promote positive impact.
“We Are Pro-Nigeria, Not Anti-Business”
Addressing government and industry management, Olabiyi-Agoro said PENGASSAN was not anti-business but “pro-Nigeria,” stressing that the union wanted increased production, investment and protection of Nigerian content.
He urged government and employers to engage the union early in resolving industrial challenges before they degenerate into crises.
“We want production up, investment in, and Nigerian content protected. But that can only happen when workers are respected and treated fairly,” he said.
He called for mutual respect, adherence to rules of engagement and equitable treatment of workers.
The new PENGASSAN president paid tribute to his predecessor, describing Festus Osifo as a “Leader, Builder and Fighter.”
He credited Osifo with defending jobs during divestments, strengthening collective bargaining agreements and giving PENGASSAN a stronger voice at the highest levels of government.
“On behalf of over 30,000 PENGASSAN members, I say thank you. Your legacy is our foundation, and we will carefully and consciously build upon it to the benefit of our members, Nigerian workers and the country at large,” he said.
Olabiyi-Agoro also described himself as one of Osifo’s legacies, recalling that the outgoing president supported him when he was “down and almost out.”
He said Osifo was willing to stake his own political and leadership capital in supporting him, adding that the experience and knowledge of the immediate past president would be maximally utilised by the new leadership.
The new president appealed to PENGASSAN members, branch executives, the Central Working Committee and National Executive Council for their support, saying the responsibility before the new leadership was enormous.
He said the office represented the concerns of workers across the country, including employees seeking fair wages, job security, workplace dignity and protection from harassment.
“If your branch is hurting, PENGASSAN headquarters will feel it. If your company is cheating you, PENGASSAN will fight it,” he declared.
He added: “We did not join PENGASSAN because it was easy. We joined because it was necessary.”
Bosun Olabiyi-Agoro emerged as the new PENGASSAN president alongside other national officers elected at the conference.
The newly elected officers are:
Bosun Olabiyi-Agoro — President
George Nwoko — Deputy President
Dominic Abang — National Industrial Relations Officer
Amaoge Chukwudi — National Treasurer
Tijani Oyabure — National Financial Secretary
Lavin Aghaunor — National Public Relations Officer
Ada Maryam Mbanaso — National Chairperson, PWC
Chidinma Anyanwu — National Secretary, PWC
Rex Orji — National Auditor I
Muhammad Sani Ismail — National Auditor II
The only position contested was that of National Auditor I, where Comrade Rex Orji of Indorama Petrochemical Company defeated Comrade Ese Okusi.
Orji polled 254 votes against Okusi’s 84 votes to emerge winner.
Olabiyi-Agoro, a petroleum engineer and labour leader with more than 20 years of experience in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, currently works with the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
He previously worked with Baker Hughes and EA Temile and Sons and holds an M.Sc. in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom, a Post Graduate Certificate in Computing from London Metropolitan University and a B.Tech. in Chemical Engineering from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology.
His trade union experience includes serving as Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Oyo State Council; National Financial Secretary of PENGASSAN; National Auditor; and Branch Chairman of the Baker Hughes PENGASSAN Branch.
The new president concluded by calling for renewed solidarity among members, declaring: “Together, everyone achieves more. Aluta Continua, Victoria Accerta.”
