The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has sharply criticized Senator Adams Oshiomhole, describing him as a “Judas Iscariot” to trade unionism. This follows his recent comments regarding the conflict between the Dangote Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), which led to a strike action over the unjust dismissal of over 800 engineers.
In a strongly worded statement, NUPENG’s National President, Comrade Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Comrade Afolabi Olawale, condemned Oshiomhole’s remarks, calling them a “reprehensible attack on the fundamental rights of Nigerian workers.” The union further accused the former labour leader turned politician of distorting labour laws and advocating for corporate oppression.
The union expressed disappointment over Oshiomhole’s shift from a former advocate of workers’ rights to a staunch defender of corporate interests. “It is shocking to witness a former NLC President now supporting the victimization of workers for exercising their right to association and peaceful protest,” said NUPENG. The union added that his actions were “a blatant misrepresentation of Nigerian labour law and International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions.”
NUPENG also questioned Oshiomhole’s motives, drawing attention to his controversial stance as a politician. The statement noted, “How can someone who once advised allegedly corrupt politicians to join the APC for absolution now presume to preach ethics?”
At the heart of NUPENG’s criticism is Oshiomhole’s call for a “moratorium on unionization,” which the union deems as a “regressive and absurd” proposal with no foundation in modern democratic values. The union emphasized that Nigerian law, under Sections 40 of the 1999 Constitution and 9(6) of the Labour Act, guarantees the right to freedom of association. This is further reinforced by ILO Conventions 87 and 98, which protect workers’ rights to form and join unions of their choice.
Contrary to Oshiomhole’s assertion, NUPENG argued that workers are entitled to join unions without interference from employers. The union categorically stated, “Employers have no role in limiting a worker’s freedom to join a union, nor in compelling workers to relinquish that right.”
In a final rebuke, NUPENG declared Oshiomhole “persona non grata” among Nigeria’s oil and gas workers. This declaration, the union said, meant that they would no longer support any events featuring the senator, further urging the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to take note.
“The Senator’s insensitivity to the plight of dismissed workers, his opposition to union rights, and his betrayal of the working class have led to his removal from any future participation in labour discourse,” the statement concluded.
