The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has strongly condemned Senator Adams Oshiomhole for his remarks on the dispute between Dangote Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN). In a joint statement, NUPENG’s National President, Comrade Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Comrade Afolabi Olawale, called Oshiomhole’s comments “a reprehensible attack on the fundamental rights of Nigerian workers” and “a blatant distortion of established labour laws.”
The union expressed disappointment that a former labour leader now appears to be a “staunch defender of corporate oppression,” undermining the rights he once championed. NUPENG noted that Oshiomhole misrepresented both Nigerian labour law and International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions, and questioned his authority to lecture on strategy or morality given his past actions and statements.
NUPENG also challenged Oshiomhole’s claims about his resignation timeline from the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, pointing out that he simultaneously held the NLC Presidency and the NUTGTWN General Secretary roles from 1999 to 2007. The union accused him of “rewriting history” to align with his current pro‑capitalist stance that rejects trade unions.
The union further criticized Oshiomhole for admitting limited knowledge of the issue before denouncing the PENGASSAN strike, describing his actions as “irresponsible and deplorable.” Citing Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution and ILO Conventions 87 and 98, NUPENG emphasized the legal protections for workers’ freedom of association and the right to unionize without interference.
NUPENG rejected Oshiomhole’s suggestion of a “moratorium on unionization,” labeling it “an absurd, regressive idea with no basis in modern democracy.” The union challenged him to cite any provision of the Labour Act or other legislation that would support such a measure. It described his stance as “historical revisionism and selective amnesia,” reminding that the Trade Unions Act recognizes trade disputes, including sympathetic industrial actions.
Consequently, NUPENG declared Senator Oshiomhole “persona non grata” among Nigerian oil and gas workers because of his denunciation of the PENGASSAN strike and the unjust dismissal of over 800 engineers who were retaliated against for unionizing. The union will not attend or endorse any event featuring Oshiomhole and urges other labour organisations and civil‑society groups to do the same. NUPENG stands with PENGASSAN and the dismissed engineers, pledging to use all legal and industrial tools to achieve justice.
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