By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, ABUJA
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has described Senator Adams Oshiomhole as the Judas Iscariot of trade unionism over his comments on the resolved face-off between Dangote Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN.
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NUPENG, in a statement by Comrades Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale, National President and General Secretary respectively, said: “These remarks represent a reprehensible attack on the fundamental rights of Nigerian workers and a blatant distortion of established labour laws.”
It further stated: “We view with deep disappointment a former labour leader who has morphed into a staunch defender of corporate oppression, undermining the very rights he once fought to protect.
“His efforts to justify the victimization of workers for exercising their rights to association and peaceful action are not only repugnant, but also a flagrant misrepresentation of Nigerian labour law and International Labour Organisation, ILO, conventions.”
NUPENG said it is the height of irony that “we must question whether former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s description of Senator Oshiomhole – at a Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, delegates’ conference dinner – as ‘a comrade in the morning and a politician by night’ holds true.
“If so, does such a figure possess the authority to lecture others on strategy or morality? How can someone who once advised allegedly corrupt politicians to join the APC for absolution now presume to preach ethics?
“This also raises questions about his claim of relinquishing the General Secretary position at the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, upon becoming NLC President.
“The facts are indisputable: Adams Oshiomhole held both the NLC Presidency and NUTGTWN General Secretary roles from 1999 to 2007, only stepping down from the latter in 2008 – one year after leaving the NLC.
“Does this reflect an unyielding pursuit of power, influence, and personal gain?”
Rewriting history
It said there appears to be a persistent pattern in the Senator’s behaviour: rewriting history to align with his current reactionary stance in favour of capitalists, who reject trade unions in pursuit of exploitative labour practices.
“We must also question whether Senator Oshiomhole truly merits the self-conferred title of “Distinguished,” by which senators address one another – a title earned through undemocratic privilege rather than merit.
“His current position is not that of a pragmatic reformer but the rantings of an apostate, seduced by power and compromised by vested interests, betraying the cause of Nigeria’s downtrodden workers.
“Oshiomhole began his interview by admitting limited knowledge of the issue, yet at 73 years old, he recklessly proceeded to denounce the PENGASSAN strike on freedom of association – apparently at the behest of powerful forces.
“This stance, based on unverified claims, is both irresponsible and deplorable.
“For clarity, we reiterate the relevant legal provisions:
“Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) guarantees every person in Nigeri – citizens and non-citizens alike – the right to freedom of association and assembly.
“Section 9(6) of the Labour Act (Cap L1, LFN 2004) prohibits any contract that excludes a worker from trade union membership.
“ILO Conventions 87 (Freedom of Association) and 98 (Right to Collective Bargaining), ratified by Nigeria, protect workers’ rights to form and join unions of their choice without interference.”
NUPENG contended that mass dismissals for unionizing “violate these standards, which are enshrined in the Constitution via Sections 254C(1) and (2).
“Contrary to the Senator’s assertions, employers have no authority to interfere in an employee’s freedom of association – this right belongs exclusively to the worker,” the union noted.
It said Nigerian laws also safeguard the right not to join a union, requiring only formal written notice of withdrawal, adding, “neither employers nor their defenders have any role in this process. The Senator’s proposal for a “moratorium on unionization” is an absurd, regressive idea with no basis in modern democracy.
“We challenge him to cite any section of the Labour Act, Trade Unions Act, or other legislation supporting such a provision — or is this drawn from an unpublished manifesto by “daytime comrades and nighttime opportunists”?”
Continuing, it said: “Oshiomhole’s critique of the PENGASSAN strike exemplifies historical revisionism and selective amnesia:
“Section 31 of the Trade Unions Act (Cap T14, LFN 2004) recognizes trade disputes, including sympathetic industrial actions. PENGASSAN’s solidarity with dismissed Dangote Refinery members is thus a protected legal activity.
“The trade union principle that “an injury to one is an injury to all” underpins global labour movements.
“For a former NLC leader to decry this now exposes a shift from class solidarity to alignment with oppressors. His warnings of economic harm echo the anti-labour arguments he once battled as NLC President during countless strikes—a tactic that remains valid today.
“It is shocking that a man who served multiple terms on the ILO Governing Council and its Committee on Application of Standards —reviewing global workers’ rights violations —now displays such profound ignorance of unionism.
“The unity of PENGASSAN members and the solidarity from national and international unions form the bedrock of the labour movement.
“As Reuben Abbati aptly queried during the interview, where are Oshiomhole’s once-iconic “aluta” attire? Have they been discarded in the deals of a “morning comrade and nighttime politician,” as Obasanjo allegedly described?
“We urge readers to consult the 1998 book Nigerian Textile Industry: Labour-Regime and Adjustment by Andrae and Beckman (available online at labour-regime-and-adjustment-andrae-and-beckman-1998/), particularly page 247, for insight into Oshiomhole’s leadership of the textile workers’ union.”
Person non grata
Concluding, NUPENG said it “hereby declares Senator Adams Oshiomhole persona non grata among Nigerian oil and gas workers for his denunciation of the PENGASSAN strike and the unjust sacking of over 800 engineers as retaliation for unionizing.
“This declaration means we will no longer participate in or legitimize any events featuring him. The NLC, TUC, and principled civil society organizations are urged to take note.
“Oshiomhole’s insensitivity to these workers’ plight and his opposition to unionism in the petroleum sector poison the working-class resolve while bolstering exploiters. NUPENG stands resolutely with PENGASSAN and the dismissed engineers. We will deploy all legal and industrial tools — fully compliant with Nigerian law and global standards — to achieve justice.
“The Senator’s stance marks him as the Judas Iscariot of Nigerian trade unionism — a profound betrayal of the working class. We advise him to withdraw from labour commentary, as he has forfeited all moral authority, especially among oil and gas workers.”
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