The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, have commended the Nigerian Senate for the passage of the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill, PIGB.

General Secretary of NUPENG, Joseph Ogbebor, on Friday, describe the passage of the bill as a welcome development, adding it was long overdue.

Ogbebor noted that the Union has been pushing for the bill to be passed for the last 15 years, stressing that the bill when signed into law will not only increase inflow of foreign investment, but will ensure accountability and transparency.

He however warned that the NUPENG would resist any attempt to sack workers without adequate compensation, following the unbundling of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, as prescribed in the new bill.

The union leader advised the federal government to be cautious while implementing the new act in order to ensure that all labour matters were properly addressed.

Similarly, the Acting General-Secretary of PENGASSAN, Lumumba Okugbawa, also described the passage of the bill as a step forward in addressing the many challenges facing the nation’s oil and gas sector.

Okugbawa noted that the PIGB was only part of the entire PIB, adding that it was necessary to pass it to create a law to regulate activities in the industry.

NUPENG and PENGASSAN have always listed non-passage of the PIB as one of the reasons for their numerous industrial actions.

The PIB was split into four parts by the National Assembly to make for easier passage; the PIGB is just one out of the four parts.