The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has threatened a nationwide strike following an incident in which a Naval Special Forces unit reportedly stormed the Oritsetimeyin oil drilling rig to remove workers.
The rig had already been shut down due to an ongoing industrial dispute.
Special naval personnel, allegedly transported to the rig by helicopter, were seen engaging with workers on the platform. Amateur footage showed some naval personnel and workers involved in tense altercations. In one clip, a worker was heard telling the officers, “We are fighting for our rights and we cannot be slaves in our country.”
A national NUPENG official, confirming the rig’s shutdown following the security forces’ intervention, told reporters, “We are already sensitising and mobilising our members for a nationwide strike. The authorities cannot be aiding employers to breach agreements freely entered into with Labour. We cannot accept this. The earlier the management is called to order, the better. If not, we will be forced to declare a national strike to safeguard the interests of our members.”
Earlier, NUPENG had formally petitioned the Federal Government regarding the deployment of military and security operatives to remove workers from oil rigs. The petition, which was also sent to the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Department of State Security (DSS), urged the NSA to intervene and restrain the security operatives to prevent an industrial crisis in the oil sector.
In the petition, signed by NUPENG President Prince Williams Akporeha and General Secretary Afolabi Olawale, the union asserted that armed forces were being contracted to illegally and forcibly remove workers, who are NUPENG members, from the Oritsetimeyin rig. The union claimed this action was solely due to workers’ demands for the implementation of a duly signed agreement. “It is really unfortunate and saddening that in a democratic setting like ours and at this age, employers and some state collaborators will be making attempts to use brute force to settle industrial relations issues,” the petition read.
“It is imperative to note that Dutchford E&P, Selective Marine Services, and their Labour Contractors, who operate the Oritsetimeyin rig, believe they are above the laws and directives of regulatory authorities in Nigeria,” the petition further stated.
