NUPENG National President
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]rue leaders discover and understand who they are and what their purposes are; they influence their environment more than their environment influence them. Even though every human being on this planet has an indication of leadership, most of us do not have the courage to cultivate it but smart ones like Comrade (Dr) Igwe Achese(JP) do. He can be described as a man who cuts on aura. A diligent man who is always focused on the things he wants and knows exactly how to achieve them.He is an excellent Icon of accountability , a result oriented fellow, who has passion for excellence and known for his dedication.
Since Comrade Igwe Achese and his proactive team assumed office to pilot the affairs of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG)in the past seven years and six months, this proactive team have been able to achieve alot of results based on team work.When the team assumed office , they started on a very frosty note with little or no working capital but they were able to get out of the woods by paying all the huge bank loans they met with Oceanic Bank. Comrade Igwe Achese and his team took a bold step to renovate the National Secretariat and the building of zonal offices; today they have a functional zonal offices in Lagos, Warri and Port -Harcourt and the union no longer pay rents to shylocks landlords in these zones.The union has just completed a Hotel complex in Kaduna.
NUPENG General Secretary
It was on records that before these proactive team came on board, this great union cannot boast of functional operational vehicles ,but today Comrade Igwe Achese and his proactive team bought alot of operational vehicles for zonal chairmen and new buses to complement the old one at the National Secretariat. Under Comrade Igwe Achese leadership of NUPENG, the union made another laudable achievement through the acquisition of 774 hectares of land for Tanker park in Eleme, Port Harcourt with certificate of Occupancy given to the union by Gov. Wike administration.The land has been fenced and access roads with security park been constructed as discussion for investors are on-going presently. This when completed will take trucks out of the Port-Harcourt Refinery road and the entire complex will boast of modern day facilities like banks, restaurants, fire house, Hotels, Police Station etc. This project will cost the union N4billion (Four Billion Naira only) .
Under the able leadership of this administrative Icon Comrade Igwe Achese, the union has been able to send all the National Executive Council members to one or two course abroad and they have also organised zonal and National workshops annually with massive attendance by members.Not too long ago,the National Executive Council members attended oversea training in Great Britain and Dubai.
The leadership of NUPENG added another laudable efforts to further diversify in view of reducing revenue coming from union dues, they have acquired another massive land for the building of a gas plant in Okrika, Rivers State and the project construction will commence as soon as the documentations are perfected. The union also establishes and carry on or participate (financially and otherwise) in the business of the printing or publishing of a general newspaper or of journals, books, pamphlets or publication of any other undertaking, industrial or otherwise, in the interest of or with the main purposes of furthering the interest of the union or trade unionism generally. NUPENG also involved in advocacy for good governance with international best practice policies that will sustain the nation’s oil and gas sector worker and the nation at large.
The union is also involved in the advancement of education and training of members. NUPENG also provide members with benefits and other assistance as provided for in the constitution. The union also encourages the participation of members in decision making both at industrial and national levels.It is also involved in the protection and advancement of the socio–economic and cultural interest of the community, and such other objectives as are lawful and are not inconsistent with the spirit and practice of trade unionism.Another service the union renders is to promote and encourage International fraternal relations with bodies having the interest of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers.
Comrade (Dr) Igwe Achese have turn the name NUPENG into a brand and household name in Nigeria. It is a trade union affiliated to the Nigeria Labour Congress. The public relations activities of the union are varied.The union believes in social dialogue as a tool to reaching out and resolving industrial crisis. Most of the disputes that arise are resolved through this method of social interaction. NUPENG believes that the drop in oil prices in the International market with other attendant factors like pipeline vandalism , inflation have contributed to the down-turn in the industry and the hardest hit by the current right sizing, retrenchment,downsizing are workers under the aegis of NUPENG.
Comrade Igwe Achese outstanding contributions and performance as an industrial relations practitioner, a motivator, a human resource expert who believes in capacity building and infrastructural development of Nigeria cannot be over emphasize because he has taken this union to the next level since he assumed office as the National President of this great union. He believes that Nigeria as a nation is presently at a cross- road and that we never had it rough, as the economy is in shambles while the recovery efforts is very slow. He believes that the major challenge facing oil and Gas workers in Nigeria today is the spate of redundancies. The union is presently saddled with negotiating redundancies almost on a daily basis but with the commendable efforts of this proactive fellow and his team, it can be resolved that the story will gradually be a history.
By: Grassroots Publishers
