NUPENG slams Oshiomhole over anti-worker comments, accusing the senator of betraying labour ideals in the ongoing Dangote Refinery dispute

NUPENG slams Oshiomhole for what it described as “a betrayal of the working class struggle” following his recent remarks criticising the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) over its ongoing dispute with Dangote Refinery.

Also read: House of Representatives Slams PENGASSAN over Strike

In a strongly worded statement on Monday, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) said Senator Adams Oshiomhole, a former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), had abandoned the principles of trade unionism he once championed.

The statement, jointly signed by NUPENG President Williams Akporeha and General Secretary Afolabi Olawale, rebuked Oshiomhole’s comments on Arise TV, where he labelled the strike by PENGASSAN “hasty and unfair to other workers.”

According to Oshiomhole, protecting one group of workers should not endanger the livelihoods of others. However, NUPENG accused him of siding with corporate interests against employees unjustly dismissed.

“We witness with utter disappointment a former labour leader now transformed into a vocal advocate for corporate oppression,” the union declared. “His attempts to rationalise the victimisation of workers are nauseating and distort Nigerian labour law and ILO standards.”

In the statement titled “Senator Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole’s Undistinguished Anti-Worker Vitriol,” NUPENG accused the senator of “historical revisionism and political amnesia.”

It said his comments ignored the alleged sack of 800 engineers at the refinery while unfairly targeting PENGASSAN’s industrial action.

Citing Section 31 of the Trade Unions Act, Cap T14, LFN 2004, the union stressed that solidarity strikes are legally recognised forms of protest.

“PENGASSAN’s action is a protected legal action. The principle that ‘an injury to one is an injury to all’ remains the bedrock of global trade unionism,” the statement added.

NUPENG further likened Oshiomhole to “the Judas Iscariot of Nigerian trade unionism,” accusing him of spreading a “dangerous toxin” meant to weaken workers’ unity.

The union said it was appalling that a man once respected in international labour circles would now undermine the very movement he led.

Concluding its fiery response, NUPENG declared Oshiomhole persona non grata within the oil and gas sector and vowed to boycott any labour event featuring the senator.

“The leadership of NUPENG hereby declares Senator Adams Oshiomhole persona non grata within the ranks of Nigerian oil and gas workers,” the statement said.

“Henceforth, we will not participate in or lend legitimacy to any event featuring him.”

Also read: Dangote Refinery Reorganises Workforce Over Sabotage

Reaffirming solidarity with PENGASSAN, the union pledged to pursue justice for the affected workers through all legal and industrial channels permitted under Nigerian law and international labour standards.