PENGASSAN wants politicians to respect Abuja accord

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has said that politicians and their followers owe to Nigeria the duty of standing by the recent non- violence accord they signed in Abuja which was witnessed by the international community. Francis Johnson, president of PENGASSAN, speaking at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the association in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, weekend, noted that 2015 was a remarkable year in the political life of Nigeria, and the elections would test the maturity of the nation’s democracy.    “There is global focus on government, especially the Professor Attahiru Jega-led Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to live up to expectations through the con- duct of free and fair elections,
where electorate votes count on ‘one man/woman, one vote’ basis as step towards delivering credible elections,” he said. Johnson implored the politi- cal parties to tread with caution and explore the path of peace and principle of fair play during the polls where there are reports of wrangling and bickering among themselves. He advised political leaders and their followers should neither see the elections as “an end in itself nor a do or die affairs,”
adding that all political parties and their gladiators should collaborate together to ensure that “Project Nigeria does not fail, as all of us including the politicians have no other country, except our dear country.” Johnson enjoined all stakeholders, especially the politi- cians and their followers to pursue peace, unity and progress to nurture the nation’s growth, saying that if the Abuja peace ac- cord works, Nigeria will emerge peaceful and united indivisible