ABUJA – Fifteen employees of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) have sued the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), escalating an internal union dispute.
The lawsuit, filed at the National Industrial Court in Abuja, challenges the suspension of the staff members and the subsequent appointment of a caretaker committee to oversee the NMDPRA branch. The claimants argue these actions violate the PENGASSAN constitution.
The legal action stems from a decision by PENGASSAN’s Central Working Committee, which suspended over 40 NMDPRA branch members in August. The suspended members maintain their branch was stable and that the national leadership’s intervention was unjustified.
The case highlights growing tensions within the senior staff association, with similar leadership disputes reported in other key branches, including Chevron. The court’s decision is expected to set a significant precedent for internal union governance.
