Workers of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) have issued a stern warning to the newly appointed Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Bayo Ojulari, cautioning him against appointing external candidates into key management positions. The workers, under the aegis of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), have threatened a complete shutdown of operations if the warning is ignored.
The unions, represented by their NNPC Group Executive Council (GEC), made their stance known in a strongly worded letter titled “Filling of Top Management Positions in NNPC Limited With Externally Recruited Personnel is Unacceptable to PENGASSAN & NUPENG GEC” (Reference: PEN/NUP.GEC.SEC. 04/25/04.2). The letter was addressed to the Chief Human Resource Officer of NNPC and acknowledged on the same day.
A Clear Message to Ojulari
The union leaders, while congratulating Ojulari and the newly constituted board appointed by President Bola Tinubu, made it clear that any attempt to bypass internal staff in favour of outsiders for top roles such as executive vice presidents, deputy managers, and managers would be met with “strong resistance.”
“We cannot accept, accommodate, or support the recruitment of senior and management staff from outside NNPC Limited,” the unions stated. “Any plan in such direction must be stopped immediately.”
A Call for Career Advancement and Fairness
According to the joint statement signed by Amaoge Chukwudi (PENGASSAN GEC Secretary), Paulosa O. Paulosa (NUPENG GEC Secretary), Solomon Orieji (PENGASSAN GEC Chairman), and Baba Kaumi (NUPENG GEC Chairman), the company is already equipped with thousands of experienced professionals who have earned the right to ascend within the organisation.
“NNPC Limited is home to thousands of experienced, competent, and dedicated Nigerian professionals… Denying them career advancement opportunities and overlooking them in favour of external recruitment is grossly unjust and wasteful,” the letter read.
The unionists argue that external appointments would not only be demoralising to loyal employees but would also interrupt the company’s trajectory of profitability and efficiency.
Threat to Industrial Harmony
The unions warned that repeating the trend of external top-level appointments—especially from the SS5 to M2 cadre—would provoke internal crisis. The letter made it clear that industrial peace could no longer be guaranteed if the management proceeds with such a move.
“This letter serves to put the management and the Board of NNPC Limited on notice… Any attempt to do so will be met with strong resistance, including a total shutdown of operations,” they concluded.
Context and Implications
This development comes just days after the appointment of Ojulari as GCEO, following the removal of Mele Kyari by President Tinubu. While the new leadership is expected to steer NNPC through ongoing reforms, the unions’ warning serves as an early challenge that highlights the tension between corporate restructuring and internal staff expectations.
Should the new GCEO choose to overlook the warning, NNPC risks facing industrial action that could impact national oil production and supply—a potentially high-stakes disruption in a critical sector of Nigeria’s economy.