Workers at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) are not happy with a new plan by the company’s new boss, Bayo Ojulari. They are warning him not to bring in people from outside the company to take up big leadership roles — and if he does, they say they might shut everything down!
These workers are part of two big groups: the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG). They are the people who help run Nigeria’s most important oil company, and they say there are already many smart, hardworking people inside NNPC who can take on those top jobs.
They wrote a letter to the company’s top human resources officer. The letter was titled, “Filling of Top Management Positions in NNPC Limited With Externally Recruited Personnel is Unacceptable to PENGASSAN & NUPENG GEC,” and had a special code number: PEN/NUP.GEC.SEC. 04/25/04.2.
In the letter, they congratulated Bayo Ojulari and the new board members chosen by President Bola Tinubu. But they also gave a strong warning.
“Every time we get a new boss from outside, they bring in their people and give them top jobs,” the workers said. “That’s not fair! We already have many people here who are qualified and have worked for years in this company.”
They explained that NNPC is full of skilled professionals who have given many years to the company. These workers are ready to lead and help the company grow — but bringing in outsiders might stop them from getting promoted.
The letter was signed by four top union leaders:
- Amaoge Chukwudi (PENGASSAN Secretary)
- Paulosa O. Paulosa (NUPENG Secretary)
- Solomon Orieji (PENGASSAN Chairman)
- Baba Kaumi (NUPENG Chairman)
They warned that if management ignores their letter and still hires outsiders for important positions, they could stop working completely. That means fuel, gas, and other important things could stop moving — and that would affect the whole country.
“If this warning is ignored, we cannot guarantee peace in the company,” they said. “Any appointment of managers from outside will be strongly resisted — including a full shutdown of operations.”
Now, all eyes are on the new GCEO, Mr. Ojulari. Will he listen to the workers, or will there be a big problem at NNPC?
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