The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has called on companies operating in the nation’s oil and gas sector to sufficiently update their workforce on trending global technology.
This, the union stated would adequately prepare them on how to handle its effects.
A statement quoted the PENGASSAN President, Mr. Francis Olabode Johnson, to have said this at a 2-day PENGASSAN Port Harcourt Zonal Workshop, with the theme: ‘Impact of Technology, Politics and Leadership Skills on Industrial Relations in the Workplace,’ organised by the Port Harcourt Zone of the Association in Awka, Anambra State recently.
He described the theme of the workshop as not only apt but timely as technological innovations and political decisions greatly impact workers especially workers in the sector.
According to him “the world of technology has a powerful impact on every aspect of our lives. It has changed the way we connect with each other, how we conduct our daily affairs and how we do business. At a high management level, technology can be one of the most useful tools to help you become a better leader.
“There is no question about it: technology is the driving force behind the new style of leadership. A great number of successful leaders in the world are those who have understood just how much technology can aid them in managing people, building teams and keeping track of work across all channels and from any location in the world.”
As an association, he disclosed that PENGASSAN embarks on constant training and re-training of its members and staff, to prepare them for these constant innovations in the oil and gas industry as it is paramount on its plans.
“From the inception of this present leadership, all staff and most members have benefited from local and foreign capacity building in which huge sum of resources were expended. This year, we have lined up a number of trainings and re-trainings tailored towards making our members more productive not only to the association but to the industry and themselves.
“We therefore implore the management and policy formulators to imbibe this culture to mitigate the vagaries of the new world order that is driven by technology. The role technology is playing in our match towards 2019 general election explains why the political class should be careful not to misapply it to the detriment of the peace and unity of our dear country.”
Johnson, however regretted the low level of reward accorded labour unions in the society despite the critical roles they play in national development.
“It is my view and that of the industrial community and veteran unionists that the Labour Movement in Nigeria have not been commensurately rewarded by the State for the tremendous role it had played towards political independence and national development of Nigeria whether in the past decades or present time.”
In his address, the Port Harcourt Zonal Council Chairman Comrade Dr Azubuike Madubuezi Azubuike, said the workshop was inspired largely by the global trends of what he described as the hostile takeover of technology in the industries and organisations and effects of politics on policy formulation.
