NNPCL workers threaten strike over external appointments into top roles

• Published On: 08 April 2025 at 19:19

Workers at Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited have sent a harsh warning to the recently appointed Group CEO, Bayo Ojulari, regarding suspected plans to appoint outsider candidates to key management posts.

In a letter signed by leaders of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, the unions condemned any attempt to hire outsiders as executive vice presidents, deputy managers or managers. They threatened a complete shutdown of operations if the firm went ahead with the proposal.

The letter, headlined "Filling of Top Management Positions in NNPC Limited With Externally Recruited Personnel is Unacceptable to PENGASSAN & NUPENG GEC" and referencing PEN/NUP.GEC.SEC. 04/25/04.2, was addressed to the Chief Human Resource Officer and acknowledged the same day.

While praising Ojulari and the new board members chosen by President Bola Tinubu, the unions asked management to prioritise internal promotions, noting the organization's plethora of experienced staff.

"We warmly congratulate the newly appointed Group CEO and Board Members of NNPC Limited. "We wish them success and pray for excellence in their assignments," the letter stated in part. "However, we must bring urgent attention to a severe issue. The inclination to hire externally for top management positions whenever a new GCEO is appointed is undesirable."

The unions maintained that NNPC employs hundreds of skilled experts who have spent years establishing the company's heritage and are ready to take on new duties. They warned that passing up internal talent in favour of outsider candidates would be "grossly unjust, wasteful, and disruptive."

The unions described such appointments as a threat to staff morale and career advancement, warning that sustained industrial harmony would be jeopardised if the GCEO failed to respond to their demands.

"This letter serves as an official notice that PENGASSAN and NUPENG emphatically oppose any external recruitment for management posts above the SS6 cadre. Any attempt to do so will be greeted with fierce opposition, including a complete stoppage of operations," the statement continued.