TUC Elects Festus Osifo As President
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has elected Comrade Festus Osifo as its new National President to replace Comrade Quadri A. Olaleye. Olaleye served for one term from (2019 – 2022).
The election held on Tuesday, July 19th, 2022 at the International Conference Centre, Abuja during the 12th Triennial National Delegate Conference of Congress.
Comrade Festus Osifo is the National President of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, (PENGASSAN), an affiliate of the Trade Union Congress, (TUC).
According to TUC’s constitution, Comrade Osifo and his 14 -member National Administrative Council (NAC) of the Congress, elected in the early hours of today will pilot the affairs of the Labour Centre for the next three years.
Comrade Osifo is a Mechanical Engineer and he has over 16 years illustrious career in the oil and Gas industry both in Schlumberger Nigeria Ltd and TotalEnergies Exploration and Production Nigeria Ltd. He had served amongst others, as PENGASSAN Producers Forum Chairman, between 2016 – 2018.
The Chairman of the National Delegates Conference Committee who was also the Returning Officer, Comrade Shehu Mohammed said, a total of 728 delegates participated in the election with Osifo pulling 688 votes to defeat his opponent, Comrade Oyinkan Olasanoye who had 18 votes. Twenty two votes were declared invalid.
Comrade Osifo is a first class graduate of the University of Portsmouth and also an alumnus of the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI). He holds a Master degree in Petroleum Engineering from Herriot Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Comrade Osifo is a member of the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), Council of Registered Engineers of Nigeria (COREN) and Society for Petroleum Engineers (SPE).
In his acceptance speech, he pledged to fight for the welfare of the masses as well as the protection of the interest of every Nigerian worker. He commended the past leaders of the Congress for laying a solid foundation on which the body thrives today. He promised to sustain the vision and even do more. Comrade Osifo promised to carry everyone along in his quest for a greater TUC while also pledging to initiate a platform to reconcile all agreived comrades .
“I am grateful for the trust you have bestowed on me and I will not take it for granted,” he further pledged.
Other members of the NAC include: President of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Comrade Tommy Etim Okon (Ist President), President of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association, FOBTOB, Comrade Jimoh Oyibo (3rd President), President of Road Transport Employers Association, RTEAN, Alhaji (Dr) Musa Mohammed (Maitakobi 1) as Treasurer; Ex-Officio of Construction and Civil Senior Staff Association, CCESSA, Comrade Isaac Egbugara (Fin Sec.), President of Hotel and Personnel Senior Staff Association, Comrade Iyeh Williams (Trustee 2); President of Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools, Comrade Samuel Omaji (Trustee 3), President Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, SSAEAC, Comrade Benedict Chika (Auditor I), President of National Union of Allied Health Professional, Comrade Ogbonna Obinna (Auditor 2), President of Textile Union, Comrade Alamotu Babatunde (PRO) and TUC Women Commission, Comrade Afusatu Shuaib (Chairperson).
