The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN) have threatened to embark on a nationwide strike over alleged anti-union posture, threats, and victimisation of members by the management of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE), Effurun in Delta State.

In a joint statement by the General Secretary of NUPENG, Afolabi Olawale, and the General Secretary of PENGASSAN, Lumumba Okugbawa, they accused the Vice Chancellor of FUPRE, Prof. Ezekiel Agbalagba, of adopting an anti-union posture, threatening, and victimising their members.

They said that their attention was drawn to an alleged anti-union, reckless and provocative memo issued by the with reference number VC/STAF&STDS/25/VOL1, dated Monday 21st July 2025, with alarming titled ‘Security Alert and Caution to All Staff and Students which called out armed security men against hapless and defenseless members of NUPENG and PENGASSAN for agitating for their fundamental human rights to freedom of association and inalienable rights to belong to a union and association of their choice.

The unions have placed their members across the nation on red alert, saying if the anti-union posture, threat, and victimisation are not immediately halted, they will not hesitate to escalate the resistance across the state and if necessary, the entire nation.

The oil workers equally called on the Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori; Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Dingyadi and the Minister of Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, and other security agencies to call the Vice Chancellor to order, saying he was recklessly pushing the entire FUPRE environment and by extension Delta State into an avoidable industrial relations crisis.