YOUR FAVOURITE COLUMN HAS DECIDED TO GIVE SPACE TO ABOVE CONTRIBUTOR FOR ITS UNIQUENESS IN ADDRESSING OUR ONGOING FUEL CRISIS
By
Gbemisola Obadeyi
Trade unions are supposed to be the conscience of industry, a voice for workers, a check on exploitation, and a bridge between labour and management.
But when unions abandon these noble roles and instead weaponize their influence to frustrate national progress, they cease to be guardians of workers’ rights; they become enemies of the people.
This is the shameful reality of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), whose running battles with the Dangote Refinery now expose their desperation to maintain control at all costs even if it means sabotaging Nigeria’s economic future.
The Dangote Refinery is not just another private business; it is Africa’s biggest industrial gamble and Nigeria’s greatest chance to escape decades of fuel importation, endless subsidies, and chronic scarcity. It promises to stabilize our energy sector, save billions in foreign exchange, create jobs, and restore dignity to a nation that sits on crude oil yet imports refined products. But instead of supporting this landmark project, PENGASSAN and NUPENG have chosen to drag it into the mud of their combative union politics.
* *THEIR COMPLAINT? Unionization Rights.
* *THEIR STRATEGY ?* – Threats, intimidation, and the same tired playbook of strikes that have crippled the oil sector for decades. *Let’s be clear: no one is against workers organizing for fair treatment. But what is at play here is not labour justice. It is raw power.*
The refinery represents a system they can not easily control, a threat to entrenched rent-seeking networks, and a disruption of the scarcity economy that has long given unions leverage over government and citizens alike.
The result is economic blackmail. *Each time these unions clash with the refinery, Nigerians are dragged into manufactured crises such as fuel hoarding, supply cuts, and needless panic. This is not unionism; it is economic terrorism. And it must stop.*
*THE HYPOCRISY IS GLARING.*
For years, the unions looked the other way as Nigeria bled billions from corruption-ridden subsidy regimes and import cartels. But now, when a Nigerian-owned refinery emerges to break the cycle, they suddenly rediscover their militancy.
* Where was this energy when the nation was robbed blind?
* Where was this solidarity when ordinary Nigerians queued overnight for petrol that never came?
*If PENGASSAN and NUPENG truly cared about Nigerian workers, they would be at the forefront of ensuring the refinery succeeds because its success means stable jobs, cheaper energy, and industrial growth. Instead, they are positioning themselves as obstacles holding the refinery hostage, and by extension, the entire nation.*
Enough is enough !!!!!! * The government must draw the line. While workers’ rights are SACROSANCT, the national interest is SUPREME. No union has the right to cripple a $20 billion investment that carries the hope of 200 million Nigerians. Unionism that threatens national survival must be reined in, by law and by policy.*
Nigeria has suffered enough from unions that mistake disruption for advocacy. The era of weaponized strikes and economic sabotage must end. *If PENGASSAN and NUPENG insist on standing in the way of progress, then they have declared themselves not defenders of labour, but saboteurs of the nation.*
*HISTORY WILL REMEMBER WHO BUILT NIGERIA AND WHO TRIED TO BREAK IT.*
*PRINCE GBEMISOLA OBADEYI scp, cpa, lpc, Aigpcm, Amb.P
FOUNDER/CONVENER : New Initiative for Electoral Mandate (NIFEM)
PENGASSAN’s Officials May Face Up To 25 Years Jail Time If Prosecuted: Union Rights Are Legal, Sabotage Is Not
By its actions in its face-off with Dangote Refinery, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has crossed a dangerous legal line. While Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution guarantees the right to unionize, it does not license unions to sabotage national assets or interfere with private contracts.
The recent directive by PENGASSAN instructing upstream oil workers to halt crude and gas supply to Dangote Refinery is not protected labor action—it is a potential criminal offense.
What the Law Actually Says
1. Constitutional Rights
• Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution affirms the right to peaceful assembly and association, including union membership.
• However, this right must be exercised within the bounds of law and public order. It does not extend to coercive disruption of third-party contracts.
2. Trade Disputes Act (Cap T8 LFN 2004)
• Requires unions to follow due process: mediation, arbitration, and referral to the Industrial Arbitration Panel before any industrial action.
• PENGASSAN bypassed these steps. There is no evidence of a declared trade dispute or exhaustion of legal remedies.
3. Tortious Interference
• PENGASSAN’s directive interferes with valid contracts between Dangote Refinery and its suppliers.
• Under Nigerian civil law, inducing breach of contract is actionable. Damages may be awarded against the instigator.
4. Criminal Code Act (Cap C38 LFN 2004)
• Section 516: Conspiracy to commit a felony—punishable by up to 7 years imprisonment.
• Section 518: Inciting another to commit a criminal offense—punishable by up to 3 years imprisonment.
• Section 451: Wilful damage to property or disruption of lawful business—punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment.
5. Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act
• Section 1 empowers the EFCC to investigate and prosecute acts that undermine Nigeria’s economic well-being.
• If proven that PENGASSAN’s directive caused economic sabotage, its officials may face prosecution under this Act, with penalties ranging from 5 to 10 years imprisonment, depending on the offense charged.
Brutal Legal Truth: Union Officials May Face Jail Time
If the Federal Government chooses to prosecute and the courts find PENGASSAN officials guilty of:
• Contractual interference
• Incitement
• Economic sabotage
• Unlawful industrial action
They may face 7 to 25 years imprisonment, fines, and civil liability for damages.
Final Word
Union rights are sacred—but they are not a license for anarchy. PENGASSAN’s directive is not protected protest. It is a legally questionable act that threatens national stability, investor confidence, and the rule of law. If the Federal Government fails to act, it risks emboldening rogue actors across sectors.
Nigeria must draw the line—firmly, legally, and without sentiment. Otherwise, the country risks descending into a Hobbesian state where life becomes short, brutish, and nasty.
