The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has cautioned that worsening poverty and declining living standards are fuelling insecurity across the country, warning that efforts to curb violence will remain ineffective unless governments address the root economic causes.
Speaking at a dinner held in honour of former leaders of the association, PENGASSAN President Festus Osifo stressed that insecurity cannot be tackled in isolation from the economic realities confronting citizens. He urged federal, state, and local governments to treat poverty reduction as a shared responsibility and to strengthen local government structures to better respond to grassroots needs.
“A worker may have a good income but could quickly find such earnings depleted by the responsibility of supporting unemployed relatives and others struggling financially,” Osifo noted, adding that economic hardship is creating pressures that extend far beyond the workplace.
Osifo reaffirmed PENGASSAN’s commitment to protecting members’ jobs, wages, and welfare, but emphasized that the union cannot remain indifferent to the broader economic difficulties affecting the population. He argued that governments must become more sensitive to citizens’ struggles and integrate economic wellbeing into national security strategies.
The event brought together former presidents, deputy presidents, general secretaries, zonal chairmen, and other past national officers of the association. Osifo explained that the gathering was aimed at recognising their contributions since PENGASSAN’s establishment in 1978 and preserving the memory of their sacrifices.
He noted that many of the former leaders remain actively engaged, offering guidance and highlighting areas for improvement. Awards presented at the dinner were described as modest tokens of appreciation for their role in building the association and laying a foundation for future administrations.
