By: Goodluck E. Adubazi, Abuja.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has expressed solidarity with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) as it marked the 20th anniversary of the death of its former President, Comrade Uche Marcus Okoro.

Comrade Okoro died in the Sosoliso plane crash on December 10, 2005, a tragedy that claimed several lives and shook the nation.

In a statement, by Eniola Akinkuotu,
Head, Media and Strategic Communication,
the NUPRC described the late labour leader as an exceptional unionist, noting that he remains the only individual to have served as President of both PENGASSAN and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), a feat the Commission said underscored his rare leadership qualities and broad acceptability within the labour movement.

The Commission praised Okoro’s resilience, courage, and unwavering commitment to the welfare of Nigerian oil and gas workers, adding that his contributions were so profound that PENGASSAN named its national headquarters the U.M. Okoro House in his honour.

According to the NUPRC, the anniversary provided an opportunity to reaffirm its own commitment to staff welfare, capacity building, and human capital development within the petroleum industry, in line with the ideals championed by the late unionist.

While commiserating with the family of the deceased, the Commission prayed that God Almighty would continue to grant strength and comfort to his wife and children.