The ongoing protest by support staff at the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) in Ekpan, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, reached its sixth day on Friday, as the aggrieved workers accused powerful interests in the oil and gas sector of undermining efforts to resuscitate Nigeria’s refineries.
The demonstrators, who serve as casual workers under the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), vowed to continue their protest until their demands are addressed, including improved welfare packages and official recognition as essential personnel.
They also insisted that operations at the Warri refinery would remain grounded until top management at NNPCL responds to their call for better working conditions.
“We’ve been out here since Monday and have no plans to leave,” said protest leader Dafe Ighomitedo. “Management claims they’re awaiting approval from Abuja, but we believe there are vested interests trying to derail President Bola Tinubu’s reforms in the oil sector.”
Lamenting years of poor remuneration, Ighomitedo stated that many of the protesting workers had spent their most productive years ensuring the refinery remained operational, only to be treated unfairly in return.
“Our wages are a pittance compared to the permanent staff. Meanwhile, we’re the ones doing the heavy lifting.”
He urged the new NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Bashir Ojulari, to act swiftly in resolving the crisis, describing the situation as a national embarrassment that should never have reached this point.
“Our families are going through hardship because of the massive pay gap. We won’t leave this protest site until we’re shown exactly what has been approved for us,” he said, calling for casual staff welfare to be prioritized in ongoing reforms.
Ighomitedo likened their working conditions to modern-day slavery and called on industry stakeholders and the general public to rally behind their cause.
“No matter how much money is invested in reviving the refinery, it won’t make a difference without this workforce,” he cautioned.
He noted that the protest was a long time coming, saying previous warnings to the WRPC management were ignored, leaving the workers with no choice but to take action.
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