Comrade Francis Olabode Johnson, President Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) died in the early hours of Friday 31st May 2019 at National Hospital Abuja.

Mr Johnson, who hailed from Eti-osa area of Lagos State, died after a brief illness.

The National Executive Council (NEC), Central Working Committee (CWC), members and staff of PENGASSAN announced the untimely and painful death of Mr. Johnson who was fondly called FOJ.

Late Comrade F.O. Johnson until his passing on was a staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and was on his final lap of his eventful and transformational six years tenure as President PENGASSAN, having been elected to that position in June 2014 and re-elected in 2017.

Comrade Johnson will be remembered by his comrades, co-workers, family and friends for being thoughtful, humorous, compassionate and transparent as he touched the lives of so many and was the very embodiment of strength, patience, and perseverance.

These attributes propelled him to develop a deep connection with nature, zest for life and the total transformation of PENGASSAN National Secretariat and initiating the e-library and Events Resources Centres in all PENGASSAN Zonal offices.

As President of a union as PENGASSAN, one of the attributes that endeared him to his comrades, co-workers and the generality of Nigerians, was his passion for the protection of jobs of workers and hatred for maltreatment of Nigerians as slave workers within their own country.

In his acceptance speech after he was re-elected for a second term in 2017, Johnson said,

“Under no guise will we allow our members to lose their jobs. We will fight any form of un-procedural redundancies or restructuring that affects our members. We are ready to collaborate with the government and other agents towards the development and growth of our industry.”

He will be remembered for fighting vigorously for dignity in labour and infringement on workers’ rights to freedom of association, mass sack of workers and dehumanization of same in total disregard to rule of engagement and the laws of the land.

He vocally condemned foreign and indigenous oil and gas companies anti labour posture and practices including the termination of the employment of workers for their willingness to belong to the union.

One of the remarkable things about his leadership was the industrial harmony the current administration enjoyed in the oil sector. There was hardly any major strike by the union that undermined the industry.

However, when it became necessary, PENGASSAN under late Johnson’s leadership, used industrials actions including threats to shutdown oil and gas installations, disruptions to fuel supply and distribution across the country as a result of alleged unfair labour practices and seemly untamable posture of some indigenous oil and gas companies and marginal field operators.

Notwithstanding, one outstanding example was how he resolved amicably the industrial dispute between the union and Neconde Energy Ltd (of Nestoil Group of companies) which was alleged to have sacked workers in contravention of Nigerian labour laws. The resolution of the dispute averted what would have been a major shut down of the oil industry.

The union under late Johnson has been in the forefront of the resistance against the sale of the nation’s oil assets particularly, the refineries even as they remained comatose. Johnson, believed that speeding up the rehabilitation of the ailing refineries and returning them to optimal production level was better than selling them off.

His words at the 5th NNPC Group Executive Council (GEC) Triennial Delegates Conference in Abuja, December 2018 are worth remembering. He said, “PENGASSAN’s position from time immemorial has been the NLNG Model and for the model to be accepted by the association, the rehabilitation of these refineries must be concluded, as this will go a long way in not short-changing the Nigerian nation.”

He also led several calls on the Federal Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to reach an agreement within the shortest possible time on the new minimum wage.

The kind of tribute paid to him by his colleagues in the labour struggle after his death showed the kind of life he lived.

Labour unions described his death as shocking and untimely.

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) Secretary General, Musa-Lawal Ozigi, said the deceased, who was the third deputy president of the Congress was a labour leader of note.

“Johnson was a labour leader of note, a Christian and a father. He was an embodiment of grace who will be missed by the Congress,” Mr Ozigi said.

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) in its statement signed by its president and general secretary, William Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale, said the union was deeply saddened with the untimely death of Mr Johnson.

They said the death of the PENGASSAN president, who was also the chairman of NUPENGASSAN, has flamed an indelible sore in the minds of workers.

“NUPENG regrets the huge vacuum created by the passing to eternal rest of the quintessential unionist in the labour movement.

“NUPENGASSAN, which he meritoriously chaired kept united, strong and virile has painfully lost a rare gem in its folk,” it said.

The union noted that he would be remembered for his commitments to see his members and staff successful, move above challenges, stay productive and fulfilled in tandem with the union’s policy.

His joyous laughter and giving spirit will forever be ingrained in our memories.

We, the Valuechain family commensurate with his immediate family and the entire members of PENGASSAN nationwide on this great loss.
Rest on, F.O.J.