As a first step to stave off any industrial action and boast the dwindling revenue from the oil sector, the Chief Executive Officer Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) Engr Gbenga Komolafe has approved the immediate promotion of 195 members of staff of the new Commission.
Speaking on Tuesday following the approval of the promotion exercise, Komolafe said “human capital is a critical and essential element of factors of production staff need to be happy before they can work.”
“We had assured them of the determination of the Federal Government to look after their welfare. It is only when staff are happy that we can talk of improving our crude oil production quota, which is presently below what we should be producing.
“I have ensured immediate approval for promotion of 195 union staff that have been stagnated in the defunct Department of Petoleum Resoirces (DPR) to stave off industrial crisis that could further harm the low daily oil production in Nigeria and worsen the nations federation generated oil revenue,” Komolafe stated further.
The NUPRC boss said that the decision to promote the staff followed “my engagements and assurances to the agitated staff” adding that the measure “was also to boost staff morale and to ensure that the staff are not short changed in the unfolding transition and manpower re organisations in line with the PIA”.
He noted that “there is positive correlation between boosting nations crude production for optimised federation revenue and elevated staff morale in NUPRC”.
Komolafe who re-emphasized the critical and significant moment in the oil and gas sector of the economy, especially the call for divestments in the sector by key global stake holders added that “the best and only option opened to us to maximize the benefits from fossil fuels is to improve the welfare of those who are saddled with the responsibilities of managing the sector. So what we have done is by extension to improve the nation’s revenue by increasing crude oil production from the current level of 1.4 mbbls/d to 2.4 mbbls/d”.
He urged the staff to reciprocate the gesture with ehance service delivery in their determination to leave a legacy of twenty first century regulator business enabler commission.
It will be recalled that Komolafe had last week during a podcast to staff across the country said “we shall be fair to all and sundry in our leadership approach, we shall do all in our capacity to address issues of worker’s welfare and give priority to good industrial relations. Human capital capacity development will be stringently pursued to ensure high standard of professionalism at all times.”
NUPRC is saddled with the responsibility of regulating the technical and commercial activities of the Nigerian upstream petroleum sector.