These opening lines of the third chapter of the Book of Ecclesiastes are deep and reflective. The words become more meaningful when they are applied to day to day life. What really is new under the sun? What are we witnessing today that has never happened before? Life is full of challenges. It is not a bed of roses. Nor is it only of thorns. It is a mix of both. It is full of ups and downs.
It is up when things are going well and down, when they are not. We all prefer the former to the latter. Some people are luckier than others. Things are always looking up for them. In most cases, they do not lift a finger before things take shape in their lives. Thus, they become the envy of others because luck always smiles on them. This philosophy applies to groups too. Some of them are more favoured, or if you like more powerful, than others.
One group that falls into this category is the oil workers’ union. Since it comprises workers, both at the junior and senior levels, it is strategic in the affairs of nations. But unions being unions, especially at the lower level, tend to overplay their hands most times. They arrogate to themselves the power they do not have, as their importance, or perhaps, power gets into their heads. They believe that at their say so, they can ground the operations of an organisation – and even paralyse a nation. At least, they did it in Nigeria in 1993.
So, they use strike, which is a lawful labour tool of bargaining, to try to whip their management into line. Workers can go on strike, if negotiations break down. It is supposed to be the last resort for them after everything else had failed. It is not to be deployed as the weapon of first choice when talks are ongoing to resolve a labour dispute. But politically, the strike option can because of its potent force be adopted at anytime when the population as one is disenchanted with the government.
It was deployed to maximum effect 32 years ago in the wake of the political crisis engendered by the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election. Oil workers as an association saved the nation from the tyranny of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (1985-1993) and the late Gen. Sani Abacha (1993-1998), two of the militaty leaders of that era. It was however not only the oil workers’ fight. It was the fight of every Nigerian, both young and old, whether working or not. It was a fight to save our nation, and the people spoke with one voice. It was a time to fight and reclaim our country from despots.
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) were the faces of that action because the foremost labour centre, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), failed to show leadership. Then NUPENG general secretary, the late Frank Ovie Kokori, put his life on the line when the NLC leadership sold out. Ironically, that same NLC which lost its mojo when it mattered most is now flexing muscles over a dispute in which it should be a conciliator and not a combatant.
Since Dangote Refinery started producing petrol in September 2024, it has been contending with issues in the shark infested oil industry. The truth is many players in the industry do not like the face of the promoter of the plant, Aliko Dangote, who they believe has come to supplant them from the industry. They see him as a monopolist, alleging that his record in the other industries where he is also a big player tends toward that. The Dangote-PENGASSAN face off can be located in this fear – the fear that ‘he has come to push us out’, and their body language is ‘but we go show am’.
But there is nothing to show anybody if everybody is ready to play by the rules. The oil industry is regulated and there is no way any player no matter how powerful he may be can be bigger than the regulator. The regulator may not be as big as that player, but it has the power of the state to take on anybody, and every sensible ‘powerful player’ is conscious of this fact. PENGASSAN and NUPENG believe that they can take on Dangote since in their own estimation the government is allowing it to get away with so many things to, as they claim, ‘protect the multibillion dollars investment’.
Let us make no mistakes about it, the ongoing Dangote-PENGASSAN face off is an extension of the earlier one with NUPENG. And the big marketers, many of who are depot owners, are happy with what is going on. They want the feud to fester so that there can be instability in the fuel value chain which will be of immense advantage to them. Dangote should not give them that joy. If you ask me, I will advise the refinery to review the sacking of the 800 workers which led to the feud with PENGASSAN.
The advice is based on the simple reason that the handling of the matter was not tidy. This is not to say that PENGASSAN was right in declaring war against Dangote, and going ahead to turn off the refinery’s supplies from source in order to forcefully shut its operation. This is economic sabotage that borders on treason. The feuding parties, however, believe that they are legally and morally right in the actions they have taken. They are not. Dangote cannot sack the 800 workers, just like that, for allegedly sabotaging its operations.
It cannot accuse the workers of what amounts to a crime and sack them without judicial trial. In like manner, PENGASSAN cannot wilfully shut down the refinery’s supplies because it has access to those critical national assets and plunge the industry and the entire nation into chaos. PENGASSAN should be mindful of the security implications of its action. This is 2025, and not 1993, when it and NUPENG rode on the wave of the moment to make the country too hot for the military to govern.
They enjoyed the people’s backing then. They do not have such support now, so they should tread gingerly, and not give themselves a bad name – that is if they have not already done so. Dangote and PENGASSAN should give the ongoing dialogue brokered by the government a chance so that industrial peace can return. It is a time to embrace and not a time to fight.