Union shuts down PPPRA operations over leadership tussle

Activities at the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency were on Tuesday paralysed by its union over dual appointment of acting Chief Executive.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the gate into the office was shut down by protesting members of the union who denied workers and visitors access into the premises.
Victor Ononokpono, the Chairman of the Union under the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, said it shut down operations to register its displeasure over the leadership tussle in the office.
Ononokpono told newsmen in Abuja that the Federal Government should name a substantive Executive Secretary to ease the confusion in the agency.
He said: “We have two acting executive secretaries right now.
“One took over from the former head on Thursday and another one came in on Monday, February 22.
“There is confusion.
“We do not understand why we have two people in acting capacity.
“We are confused because there was a handover on Thursday and by Monday another person emerged and there is no handing over formality.”
According to Ononokpono, government should make a pronouncement quickly to ease the situation.
He said the union was protesting the trend of appointing people from operating and marketing companies to head PPPRA, a critical regulator in the downstream sector of the oil and gas sector.
He noted that the practice had been on for 10 years, adding that it had affected the mandate and activity of the PPPRA, especially its independence.
He said it was unfortunate that such situation was happening in the agency, adding that the practice was not good for the growth and development of the sector.
He said: “What I am saying is that a new acting Executive Secretary has been appointed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
“The message of the union is that this practice should stop.
“We must stop the old order because decency must be upheld.”
Ononokpono said the union would stand by the February 15 circular from the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation directing outgoing Chief Executives to hand over to the most senior directors in their organisations.
He said the idea of bringing another person in acting capacity from NNPC, accompanied by the Acting Permanent Secretary and Directors from the Ministry, was not acceptable by the union.
He said: “For us, this protest will continue until government does something about it.
“We stand by the directive of the circular from the Head of Service.”
Effort to reach the Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, A.A. Kurfi, proved abortive as he did not pick his calls nor respond to SMS.
NAN recalls that on February 18, the outgoing Executive Secretary, Alhaji Farouk Ahmed, handed over to Moses Mbaba, the General Manager Administration and Human Resources.
NAN.