The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria's leadership has announced that they will meet with the Presidential Implementation Committee to discuss Executive Order 9, which President Bola Tinubu recently signed.

The executive order, which PENGASSAN has called a "direct attack" on the Petroleum Industry Act, is a major threat to the stability of the oil and gas sector.

Speaking at the union's National Executive Council meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, PENGASSAN President Comrade Festus Osifo said that the order's provisions could jeopardise the welfare of workers and destabilise operations at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, especially the directive to transfer 30% of profit oil from Production Sharing Contracts directly to the Federation Account.

Osifo firmly dispelled rumours of imminent protests by the union, despite widespread claims that the controversial executive order threatens the livelihoods of 10,000 senior staff workers at NNPC.

"We have been doing precisely that. We got involved yesterday (Monday) and on Sunday. On Wednesday, we will continue to voice our concerns in a meeting of the Presidential Implementation Committee on Executive Order 9.

“For us, there is no hidden agenda. We don’t politicise issues. We focus first on how they affect our members, then the industry, and Nigerians at large. From the engagements so far, there are green lights, and we believe we can close the gap.”

He added, “From our assessment, the provisions of this order are a direct attack on the PIA. If the government wants to amend laws, it should send them to the National Assembly for stakeholders to debate. The way this executive order was issued could undermine the stability we currently enjoy in the oil and gas industry.”

Osifo expressed concern that diverting the 30 per cent profit oil allocation to the Federation Account Allocation Committee—without clearly defining how the statutory management fee would be refunded to NNPC Ltd.—could affect the salaries of hundreds of PENGASSAN members.

“That 30 per cent of profit oil amounts to between 1.5 and 2.5 per cent of total revenue. It funds the management fee used to pay salaries for those administering the PSCs.

“There are comrades interfacing daily with Shell, TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil, and other operators to ensure Nigeria is not shortchanged. How will their salaries be paid?”

The labour leader also painted a grim picture of the broader economy, arguing that recent claims of declining inflation do not reflect Nigerians’ harsh reality.

“When they say inflation is reducing, it’s a year-on-year comparison. If a product moves from N5,000 to N10,000, and the next year it rises to N10,200, they celebrate that inflation has dropped. But the real issue is that prices have already doubled. Nigerians are still feeling the heat in their pockets. How have rising foreign reserves put food on the table? How has exchange rate stability improved the disposable income of the average worker?”

Osifo noted that oil and gas workers bear heavy social responsibilities beyond their nuclear families.

“We are responsible for our communities and villages. When anything goes wrong, we are the first point of call. So when the economy works, it must work for every individual,” he said.

On insecurity, the PENGASSAN president declared that the government must prioritise technology and adequate funding to curb violence across the country.

“We are in a state of emergency in terms of insecurity. Reduce the plenty of talk and focus on solutions. Devote more funds to security. Nigerian lives must count.”

He urged federal and state governments to invest heavily in infrastructure and electricity, describing power supply as “the backbone of development”.

He added, “Now that power generation has been decentralised and moved to the concurrent list, state governments have no excuses. Electricity must be resolved if Nigeria wants to grow in leaps and bounds.”

Osifo also disclosed that unresolved labour issues persist at the Dangote Group refinery, urging swift intervention by the Federal Ministry of Labour and security agencies.

“We felt by now the issues should have been resolved, but they are still lingering. Efforts must be intensified as soon as possible.”

The labour leader welcomed the growing rig count and improved security along crude oil pipelines, which have boosted production and government revenue.

Taking your eyes off the ball might lead to immediate problems. In addition to generating income, pipeline security protects the jobs of our members, thus the government must maintain it," he stated.

The union reaffirmed its long-standing support for managing state-owned refineries according to the Nigeria LNG Limited model, advocating for majority private sector ownership to guarantee efficiency and protect operations from political meddling.

For more than two decades, we have promoted the NLNG model, which maintains energy security by having 49% government ownership and 51% private ownership. The value of refineries will be significantly higher when they are operating prior to privatisation.

In order to protect jobs and maintain stability in Nigeria's oil and gas industry, Osifo urged ongoing communication with the Federal Government.