By Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The immediate past Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has expressed utter shock over the passing on of the President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, Comrade Francis Johnson.
The PENGASSAN president died in the early hours of Friday after a brief illness.
A statement by the Special Assistant, Media to the former Minister, Nwachukwu Obidiwe, said Senator. Ngige who was very sad over the news, described Comrade Johnson as a forthright labour leader who understood the intricacies of negotiations and went for what was possible, adding that his death came at time his comrade colleagues as well as all of us (employers and goverment) would need his immense wealth of experience to navigate the various upcoming negotiations in the oil industry and public service.
“Serving as the Vice President of the TUC, his contributions would be missed on the vexed issue of the new National Minimum wage and the consequential adjustments upstairs.”
“I remember with nostalgia that he was one of the labour leaders that visited me in solidarity and sympathy when a segment of labour invaded my private home in Asokoro some few weeks ago under the guise of an ill informed picketing,”‘it said.
