Striking Oil Workers Shut Down NNPC, Ministry, Regulators’ Offices in Abuja

Oil workers across Nigeria began their strike on Monday, shutting down offices of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Upstresam Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and other key agencies.

The action, which began early Monday morning, has effectively halted routine operations and administrative activities within the critical energy sector institutions.

The nationwide strike by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) grounded the activities of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources as well as oil and gas agencies and parastatals under it.

LEADERSHIP checks in Abuja revealed that staff of the ministry and its agencies were locked out of their offices by the striking union staff.

The NNPCL, NMDPRA and NUPRC had their main entrance gates locked and barricaded by PENGASSAN members.

Recall that PENGASSAN embarked on strike in protest over the sack of about 800 workers in the Dangote Refinery who allegedly belonged to the association.

The senior oil workers union directed its members to halt supply of crude oil and gas to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery immediately.

Confirming the situation, the PENGASSAN chairman in NMDPRA, Tony Iziogba, said that the union had achieved “100 per cent compliance,” effectively restricting access to staff and visitors.

He added that his colleagues had also enforced 100 per cent compliance at the NNPCL and other relevant agencies.

PENGASSAN said the strike became inevitable after the alleged wrongful dismissal of about 800 workers at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
Expectations were high that the emergency meeting convened by the Minister of Labour and Employment between the parties should yield positive outcomes.