By TENSIONS are still running high at the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (FUPRE), as members of the oil workers’ unions—NUPENG and PENGASSAN, Warri Zone—enter their second day of picketing over what they describe as the institution’s “deliberate refusal” to pay outstanding Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) and Earned Allowance (EA) owed to non-academic staff.
The crisis erupted following allegations that the Vice Chancellor, Professor Ezekiel O. Agbalagba, reneged on a prior agreement to disburse the allowances to union members.
A banner indicating the situation at FUPRE
According to union insiders, the VC initially agreed during a meeting on Wednesday to pay the outstanding funds but later reversed his decision, claiming the allowances were exclusively meant for academic staff.
“This is the offence of the FUPRE VC,” a union member who preferred not to be named told reporters. “He agreed to pay, then turned around and refused, saying it’s only for academics. We are giving Management seven days to do the right thing, or we’ll escalate.”
The protesting unions further claim that the university’s Management has also refused to reimburse approximately six million naira for tankers used during the ongoing picketing at the school’s gate.
Petroleum tankers blocking the entrance of FUPRE
During a tense follow-up meeting held yesterday amid blockade of the school entrance with petroleum tankers, NUPENG members reportedly staged a walkout, leaving PENGASSAN to continue negotiations.
The Vice Chancellor and his team maintained their stance, arguing that the legality of the union’s demands would have to be determined by the Industrial Court, as the matter is currently sub judice.
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The dispute stems from the disbursement of EAA and EA by the Federal Government to Federal Tertiary Institutions on 28 May 2025.
The oil workers accuse the university’s Management of discriminatory implementation and allege a “divide and rule” approach that violates both the Nigerian Constitution and international labour conventions.
In a formal petition to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the unions allege that Prof. Agbalagba is deliberately excluding their members from benefit disbursement, despite being recognised under industrial relations laws.
However, a 2021 circular from the same Ministry—signed by Mrs O.U. Akpan on behalf of the Minister—states that FUPRE falls outside the jurisdictional scope in which PENGASSAN is legally permitted to operate.
The circular explicitly concludes that PENGASSAN “cannot organise the senior staff of FUPRE.”
Despite this, a fresh circular issued by the Ministry on 21 July 2025 has invited all parties—FUPRE Management, NUPENG, and PENGASSAN—to a tripartite meeting aimed at resolving the stalemate.
The meeting, which is holding at present in Warri, is also reviewing the allegations of the non-payment of allowances and the purported use of discriminatory labour practices.
As the situation unfolds, university operations remain partially disrupted, with workers vowing to maintain their picketing until the matter is resolved or the ultimatum lapses.
For now, all eyes are on the ongoing mediation meeting, where federal authorities are expected to clarify the legal standing of the unions and the obligations of the university’s Management.
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