PENGASSAN Tasks President Buhari On Worsening Insecurity In Nigeria
By UDO ONYEKA
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, has written an open letter to the President and Commander- In-Chief of the Armed Forces of Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari over the worsening security challenges facing the country.
The letter signed on behalf of the National Executive Council (NEC), the Central Working Committee (CWC), Members and Staff of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN),by Comrade, Festus Osifo, President, PENGASSAN and Comrade Lumumba .I. Okugbawa, General Secretary, PENGASSAN, decried the unending security challenges noting that much more can be done especially in the provision of adequate equipment and boosting of the morale of the officers by significantly improving their welfare, While acknowledging efforts of the soldiers and security personnel who sometimes pay the ultimate sacrifice in a bid to keep the rest of us safe.
PENGASSAN said it has chosen this means to join millions of Nigerians to demand that President Buhari deploy the powers vested on him by the Constitution of Nigeria to immediately put an end to the myriad of senseless and unprovoked killings of Nigerians under whatever guise.
“As a responsible Association whose activities are vital for the economic development of our dear Country, we cannot sit back and watch miscreants masquerading under the togas of ethnic militias, regional or religious armies destroy the only Country we can proudly call our own. We pledge our readiness to partner with you in your continued efforts to improve the security and general welfare of the Nigerian citizens.
“Your Excellency, arising from an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting where we painstakingly discussed the dire security situation in our dear Country; we hereby highlight some of the cogent recurrent security breaches and proffer solutions to this hydra-headed monster.
“Specifically, we are worried about the increasing attacks by bandits and other criminal elements on Institutions in the Zones where majority of our members live and work such as, Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna. Recently States under Port Harcourt and Kaduna Zones were on the front burner with news of security threats, attacks, and killings. We must unequivocally restate the importance of these Zones to the economic development and industrial peace of the Nation and therefore must be protected at all costs”, the letter read in part.
PENGASSAN said it observed the bloodbath currently ongoing in Kaduna, Zamfara, Niger and Plateau states without any meaningful solutions in sight or significant Federal Government interventions with dismay, noting that the Kaduna carnages is more worrisome given the fact that there are an array of military and para-military institutions scattered all over its nooks and crannies.
The Association in the letter called for declaration of a state of emergency and a total overhaul of all the security apparatus within the states of Kaduna and Plateau to wipe out all criminal elements especially in Southern Kaduna, while also noting that the States should be empowered with a special Police Force that will enable them take charge of security issues in their domain as the era of centralized policing is outdated.
On the issue of food security, PENGASSAN said extreme care should be taken to offer all those engaged in all forms of food production the necessary protection to continue the assiduous work to feed the nearly 200 million mouths nation-wide, adding that it is not out of place for the involvement of the Military in daily patrols to protect this important industry.
Having acknowledged unemployment as one of the most serious problems facing Nigeria like many other countries PENGASSAN urged the governments to urgently address the unemployment crisis facing the country’s youthful population, especially graduates.
It said the Government’s vision of paying stipends and daily feedings to school children and the aged are commendable, its implementation has remained questionable.
The association suggests that Government should redirect most of these funds to other productive sectors such as sports and entrepreneurship development capable of catering for a larger population of the unemployed.
PENGASSAN noted that insecurity has drastically affected inflow of foreign direct investment into the Nation’s economy.
According to it no genuine investor, either local or foreign will invest in an environment infested with official graft, excessive bureaucracy, corruption under different guises, kidnapping for ransoms, double taxations, and wavering business policies.
The Association said to overcome these uncertainties Governments at all level should initiate programmes and policies that will gradually improve the ease of doing business in Nigeria and allow private investors with the resources and technical knowhow to invest in hitherto designated State-owned establishments. “Government’s role should be limited to regulating all the players and providing the enabling environment and security of investments”, PENGASSAN said.
The letter signed on behalf of the National Executive Council (NEC), the Central Working Committee (CWC), Members and Staff of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN),by Comrade, Festus Osifo, President, PENGASSAN and Comrade Lumumba .I. Okugbawa, General Secretary, PENGASSAN, decried the unending security challenges noting that much more can be done especially in the provision of adequate equipment and boosting of the morale of the officers by significantly improving their welfare, While acknowledging efforts of the soldiers and security personnel who sometimes pay the ultimate sacrifice in a bid to keep the rest of us safe.
PENGASSAN said it has chosen this means to join millions of Nigerians to demand that President Buhari deploy the powers vested on him by the Constitution of Nigeria to immediately put an end to the myriad of senseless and unprovoked killings of Nigerians under whatever guise.
“As a responsible Association whose activities are vital for the economic development of our dear Country, we cannot sit back and watch miscreants masquerading under the togas of ethnic militias, regional or religious armies destroy the only Country we can proudly call our own. We pledge our readiness to partner with you in your continued efforts to improve the security and general welfare of the Nigerian citizens.
“Your Excellency, arising from an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting where we painstakingly discussed the dire security situation in our dear Country; we hereby highlight some of the cogent recurrent security breaches and proffer solutions to this hydra-headed monster.
“Specifically, we are worried about the increasing attacks by bandits and other criminal elements on Institutions in the Zones where majority of our members live and work such as, Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna. Recently States under Port Harcourt and Kaduna Zones were on the front burner with news of security threats, attacks, and killings. We must unequivocally restate the importance of these Zones to the economic development and industrial peace of the Nation and therefore must be protected at all costs”, the letter read in part.
PENGASSAN said it observed the bloodbath currently ongoing in Kaduna, Zamfara, Niger and Plateau states without any meaningful solutions in sight or significant Federal Government interventions with dismay, noting that the Kaduna carnages is more worrisome given the fact that there are an array of military and para-military institutions scattered all over its nooks and crannies.
The Association in the letter called for declaration of a state of emergency and a total overhaul of all the security apparatus within the states of Kaduna and Plateau to wipe out all criminal elements especially in Southern Kaduna, while also noting that the States should be empowered with a special Police Force that will enable them take charge of security issues in their domain as the era of centralized policing is outdated.
On the issue of food security, PENGASSAN said extreme care should be taken to offer all those engaged in all forms of food production the necessary protection to continue the assiduous work to feed the nearly 200 million mouths nation-wide, adding that it is not out of place for the involvement of the Military in daily patrols to protect this important industry.
Having acknowledged unemployment as one of the most serious problems facing Nigeria like many other countries PENGASSAN urged the governments to urgently address the unemployment crisis facing the country’s youthful population, especially graduates.
It said the Government’s vision of paying stipends and daily feedings to school children and the aged are commendable, its implementation has remained questionable.
The association suggests that Government should redirect most of these funds to other productive sectors such as sports and entrepreneurship development capable of catering for a larger population of the unemployed.
PENGASSAN noted that insecurity has drastically affected inflow of foreign direct investment into the Nation’s economy.
According to it no genuine investor, either local or foreign will invest in an environment infested with official graft, excessive bureaucracy, corruption under different guises, kidnapping for ransoms, double taxations, and wavering business policies.
The Association said to overcome these uncertainties Governments at all level should initiate programmes and policies that will gradually improve the ease of doing business in Nigeria and allow private investors with the resources and technical knowhow to invest in hitherto designated State-owned establishments. “Government’s role should be limited to regulating all the players and providing the enabling environment and security of investments”, PENGASSAN said.
