The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has threatened a nationwide strike after Nigeria’s Naval Special Force stormed the Oritsetimeyin oil drilling rig to forcibly remove workers.
The rig, operated by Dutchford E&P and its contractors, has been shut down amid ongoing disputes over workers’ rights and benefits.
Eyewitnesses reported that a team of armed naval personnel arrived at the platform by helicopter, confronting workers demanding the fulfillment of a previously signed agreement.
Video footage captured by workers shows the tense moments as the navy personnel arrived, with workers openly challenging them.
In one clip, a worker was heard telling the naval officers, “We are fighting for our rights and we cannot be slaves in our own country.”
A NUPENG official confirmed the rig shutdown following the navy’s intervention, describing the scene as an attempt to intimidate workers standing up for their rights.
“We are sensitizing and mobilizing our members for a nationwide strike,” said the official.
He insisted that using military personnel to enforce a private company’s agenda against workers was unacceptable.
“The authorities cannot be aiding employers to breach agreements freely entered into with labor,” he stated.
“If this continues, we will be forced to declare a national strike to protect the interests of our members.”
The union had previously petitioned the Federal Government over the presence of military personnel on oil rigs during labor disputes, warning of potential industrial crises in the sector.
NUPENG’s President, Prince Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, expressed their concerns in the petition sent to the National Security Adviser, the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Department of State Security (DSS).
According to the union, Dutchford E&P and its contractors have routinely used military forces to pressure workers into abandoning demands for fair treatment and overdue benefits.
“It is really unfortunate and saddening that in a democratic setting like ours, employers and state collaborators would resort to brute force to settle industrial issues,” the petition stated.
“These companies believe they are above Nigerian law and disrespect our institutions by ignoring signed agreements,” NUPENG leaders added.
The union highlighted a series of meetings with the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, where an agreement was eventually reached.
These meetings, held from July to September 2024, involved representatives from the DSS and concluded with a signed resolution on October 7.
“It was agreed that Dutchford E&P, Selective Marine, and their labor contractors would pay workers their severance package,” NUPENG emphasized.
But in a statement, NUPENG accused the companies of disregarding the deal and attempting to evade responsibility by using military force against workers.
“The Nigerian Army and other security forces should not allow themselves to be used against hardworking workers who have labored tirelessly to feed their families,” the union cautioned.
“This matter is an industrial relations issue, not a military conflict,” it added, urging the authorities to stay neutral and refrain from intimidating the workers.
NUPENG drew parallels to similar confrontations in 2022, saying, “We have been deceived once before, and we cannot sit back and let history repeat itself.”
Calling for urgent intervention, NUPENG requested the National Security Adviser, the Director-General of the DSS, and the Federal Government to instruct military forces to leave the oil rig immediately.
The union warned that any further attempts to forcibly remove workers could lead to casualties, an outcome they deemed “catastrophic and avoidable.”
“We respect the work of our military and security forces in defending Nigeria,” NUPENG said.
“However, they must stick to their core duty of defending our nation’s territorial integrity.”
