PENGASSAN Stages Nationwide Protest Against Appointment Of Acting Director Of PPRA

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Tuesday, February 23rd, 2016

By Seun Adebosin

Members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN),Tuesday staged a nationwide protest and shut down activities at the headquarters and offices of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPRA).

The situation was prompted by the appointment of Mrs. Sotonye Iyoyo, a non-staff, as the acting Executive Secretary (ES) of the agency. She has since resumed at the headquarters of PPRA in Abuja Monday.

The immediate past ES, Mr. Farouk Ahmed, was sacked alongside other MDAs heads last week Moday. He subsequently handed over last week Thursday to the most senior staff of the agency, who is also the General Manager, Administration and Human Resources, Mr. Moses Mbaba of PPRA.

The protest has been confirmed by the PENGASSAN Chairman, PPPRA Branch, Mr. Victor. He contended that it was wrong for anyone to appoint an outsider to head the agency. He maintained that their members would sustain the protest until better explanations were made for the action, by the appropriate authority.

The new acting ES of PPRA is being speculated to have been appointed by the Permanent Secretary, of Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

PPRA is a Federal Government’s agency which regulates the prices of petroleum products. Its former ES was among the 24 MDAs heads fired last week Monday, by FG.