The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has issued a scathing response to recent public remarks made by Senator Adams Oshiomhole, describing his comments as “a reprehensible assault” on the rights of Nigerian workers and “a monumental betrayal” of trade union values.

The union made the declaration following Oshiomhole’s televised criticism of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN)’s strike in response to the alleged dismissal of over 800 engineers at the Dangote Refinery for unionizing.

In a strongly worded statement, NUPENG President Comrade Williams Akporeha and General Secretary Comrade Afolabi Olawale accused the former NLC President of abandoning the workers’ movement in favour of “reactionary advocacy for unconscionable capitalists.”

“We witness with utter disappointment a former labour leader now transformed into a vocal advocate for corporate oppression, actively campaigning against the very rights he once championed,” the statement read.

“Senator Oshiomhole’s attempts to rationalise the victimiaation of workers for exercising their fundamental rights of association and peaceful action represent a flagrant misrepresentation of Nigerian Labour Law and International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions.”

NUPENG took particular exception to Oshiomhole’s call for a so-called “moratorium on unionization” in new companies, dismissing it as “an absurd and archaic proposition” that has no basis in Nigerian law or global labour standards.

Citing specific provisions of the law, the union reaffirmed that:

  • Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution guarantees every person in Nigeria the right to freedom of association.
  • Section 9(6) of the Labour Act prohibits any contract from excluding a worker’s union membership.
  • ILO Conventions 87 and 98, both ratified by Nigeria, protect the rights of workers to unionize and bargain collectively.
  • Section 31 of the Trade Unions Act protects solidarity industrial actions, like that of PENGASSAN.

The union questioned Oshiomhole’s credibility, recalling his overlapping leadership roles in two unions during his time as NLC President and General Secretary of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN).

“It is beyond controversy that Mr. Adams Oshiomhole held on to the positions of NLC President and General Secretary of NUTGTWN from 1999 to 2007, and he did not relinquish the latter until 2008. Is this not a testament to the Senator’s ingrained lust for power, money and deals?” the union asked.

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NUPENG criticised Oshiomhole’s statements as hypocritical and historically revisionist, pointing out his past leadership of several strikes and his former role on the Governing Council of the ILO.

The union said it is “deeply disturbing” that a former labour icon would now become an apologist for anti-union corporate practices.

The statement invoked former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s reported description of Oshiomhole as “a comrade in the morning and a politician at night,” questioning whether he still possesses any moral authority to speak on labour issues.

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NUPENG then made its most forceful declaration: “We declare Senator Adams Oshiomhole persona non grata within the ranks of Nigerian oil and gas workers. We will not participate in or lend legitimacy to any event featuring Senator Oshiomhole,” the statement signed by Comrade Williams Akporeha and Comrade Afolabi Olawale emphasised.

The union urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and allied civil society organisations to take note of Oshiomhole’s “dangerous rhetoric,” which they claim is aimed at weakening workers’ resolve and empowering “the class enemy.”

NUPENG also defended PENGASSAN’s right to take action in solidarity with the sacked workers, insisting that “an injury to one is an injury to all” remains a foundational principle of unionism globally.

The union concluded by reaffirming its commitment to fight for justice using every available legal and industrial tool in accordance with Nigerian laws and international labour standards.

“The position of Adams Oshiomhole on the PENGASSAN strike qualifies him as the Judas Iscariot of Nigerian Trade Unionism. What a monumental betrayal of the working class!” the union declared.

“Our Solidarity Remains Constant, for the Union Makes Us Strong,” the statement concluded.