The Nigerian labour sector is currently dealing with a major dispute after a controversy surrounding the NUPENG Oshiomhole Dangote Strike. The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has issued a scathing condemnation of Senator Adams Oshiomhole, the former NLC President. Consequently, they declared him persona non grata within the ranks of oil and gas workers.
The crisis began with Oshiomhole’s televised criticism of the recent nationwide PENGASSAN industrial action. Specifically, the union initiated the strike as a solidarity action (Internal Link to PENGASSAN Strike Details). This was in protest of the alleged mass dismissal of over 800 unionised engineers by the management of the Dangote Refinery.
Oshiomhole’s Stance on the Dangote Strike
Speaking on Arise TV, Senator Oshiomhole argued that PENGASSAN’s action was “hasty and unfair to other workers.” In his view, the shutdown risked “the jobs of several other workers.” Therefore, he suggested unions should not escalate a dispute with a single employer to a national level. Furthermore, he controversially called for a potential “moratorium on unionisation” for new mega-projects, such as the 650,000-barrel-per-day Dangote facility.
NUPENG: Legal Rebuttal and Betrayal
NUPENG’s response was both swift and uncompromising. First, the union released a statement. They accused the Senator of “a monumental betrayal of trade union values” and “a complete distortion of Nigerian Labour Law.”
More importantly, the union cited Section 31 of the Trade Unions Act (Cap T14, LFN 2004). This law explicitly recognises trade disputes, including industrial actions undertaken by workers in sympathy with another group. NUPENG stressed a core principle: “an injury to one is an injury to all.” Thus, they maintained PENGASSAN’s action in the NUPENG Oshiomhole Dangote Strike dispute was entirely lawful. They lambasted the former NLC President, a former member of the ILO Governing Council, for what they termed “historical revisionism.”
Economic Cost and The ‘Persona Non Grata’ Verdict
The brief PENGASSAN strike caused significant national disruption (Outbound Link to NNPCL Production Loss Report). For example, reports from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) confirmed a loss of over 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day—a reduction of approximately 16% of national output. Moreover, the country experienced deferred gas production.
The union ultimately showed its defiance by declaring Oshiomhole persona non grata. They now vow to boycott any future labour event that features him. In conclusion, the deep divisions over the NUPENG Oshiomhole Dangote Strike mark a defining moment in Nigerian industrial relations. It effectively pits a former labour icon against the very workers he once championed.
