Prof. Iledare
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has every right to organise and defend the interests of its members. However, the decision to shut down control room operations, gas supplies, and refinery inputs carries profound economic and social consequences. In the petroleum industry, a stoppage is not a simple switch-off; it destabilises systems, shrinks government revenue, triggers product shortages, and undermines investor confidence.
The grievance that “no man is bigger than the country” is valid. Yet the remedy must come through the rule of law and strong institutions, not disruptive tactics that risk plunging citizens into deeper energy insecurity. Where rights are breached, regulators must enforce compliance under the Petroleum Industry Act. Where misunderstandings exist, transparent mediation between labour, operators, and government should prevail.
Nigeria’s petroleum economy cannot afford repeated shocks. Strikes in critical energy infrastructure act like an invisible tax on the nation, raising costs for everyone and discouraging badly needed investment. Posterity, not prosperity, must guide our choices. The way forward is to keep essential energy flows stable while resolving disputes through due process. No union, company, or individual should be greater than the Nigerian state.
Wumi Iledare is Professor Emeritus of Petroleum Economics / Principal Facilitator, FUPRE Energy Business School / Executive Direcor, Emmanuel Egbogah Foundation, Abuja
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