Oil worker sues PENGASSAN for alleged constitutional breach over union election

AGGRIEVED Soyeibo Fubara has approached the National Industrial Court, NIC, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to nullify the election of Terry Nisakpo as Chapter Chairman of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association, PENGASSAN.

Soyeibo, of the Research and Development (R&D) Division of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, in Suit No: NICN/PHC/01/2019, is asking the court to determine whether Nisakpo was eligible to contest the PENGASSAN R&D chapter executive election of March 2018 in which he emerged victorious.

Joined in the suit as defendants are the National President of PENGASSAN, Francis Johnson, Port Harcourt Zonal Executive Council, chaired by Azubuike M. Azubuike, and the NNPC R&D Chapter Executive whose Chairman, Nisakpo, the claimant seeks to remove.

Among other reliefs, the claimant seeks, “A declaration that by virtue of Rule 19.5 of the PENGASSAN Constitution 2013 as Amended, Nisakpo was ineligible to have contested the NNPC R&D chapter chairmanship in the 20 March 2018 executive election conducted by the Port Harcourt Zonal Executive Committee”.

Claimant also seeks nullification of the said election, an order directing PENGASSAN to conduct fresh chairmanship election for the chapter, perpetual injunction against Nisakpo from parading as chairman and “a declaration that every appointments or nominations by Nisakpo as chapter chairman within the period as null and void and of no effect whatsoever”.