The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) said it is high time Nigeria embarked on a journey of rebirth and reorientation as a country to tackle the numerous challenges facing it.

Noting that the country was at a crossroads that has resulted in hardships for many citizens, the oil workers said an effective reorientation campaign was integral to achieving the process.

PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, said this during the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, in Port Harcourt. He said to begin the journey to achieve genuine rebirth and meaningful reorientation, Nigeria must eradicate corruption, prioritise education, engage the youths and instill in the citizens a sense of unity, patriotism and national pride.

He said it was through education that the minds of the Nigerian people could be awakened, critical thinking be promoted and a sense of national pride could be fostered.

The PENGASSAN chief said this could be achieved through the reinforcement of the country’s national symbols, the celebration of diverse cultural heritage and the promotion of the nation’s rich history.

Among other issues of national concern, Osifo, raised the alarm that it was quite worrisome that the implementation of the provisions in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) regarding host communities hasn’t been fully implemented.

He said most companies have not started remitting the three per cent of the previous year’s operating expenditure to the fund as mandated by the law.

He called on all relevant stakeholders to see to the full implementation of the provision, stressing that it would go a long way in addressing myriad issues plaguing the oil and gas host communities.

To tackle the country’s electricity challenges and improve power supply in Nigeria, Osifo said the government should increase power generation capacity by investing in renewable energy.

He said the government needed to rehabilitate and upgrade infrastructure as well as unbundling the national grid.

According to him, the national grid must be unbundled to smaller units scattered across different states of the federation.

“PENGASSAN demands for the umpteenth time that the Federal Government should take bold steps to encourage local refining of crude oil. It is time for us to unlock our potential and seize control of our energy future. The ongoing rehabilitation of the existing refineries must be sustained,” he said.