Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
Support staff at the Port Harcourt Refining Company have barricaded the entrance to the refinery and threatened a total shutdown of operations if the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited fails to implement a newly approved salary structure and pay seven months of outstanding wages within 48 hours, in an escalation of a welfare crisis that has simmered for years and now threatens to disrupt one of Nigeria’s most strategically important energy assets.
The protesting workers, under the aegis of the Support Staff Union of Port Harcourt Refining Company, mounted tents in front of the PHRC gate in Eleme, Rivers State, on Monday, displaying placards with inscriptions including “No more empty promises,” “Refinery Coordinator must go,” and “Workers deserve dignity: Fair pay is our right.” The protest temporarily disrupted work activities at the complex and followed a notice issued to management on October 2 announcing the peaceful protest and industrial action over unresolved issues.
The union’s demands are fourfold. First, the implementation of a new salary structure and remuneration package approved by the NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Bashir Bayo Ojulari, with an effective date of October 1, 2026. Second, the approval of a one-time N1 million housing or rent relief for eligible support staff to alleviate accommodation challenges. Third, the urgent payment of seven months of outstanding salaries and other legitimate entitlements owed to affected workers. Fourth, improved consultation and effective engagement among the Refinery Coordinator, managing directors, relevant management authorities and recognised labour representatives on matters affecting workers’ welfare.
The Chairman of the PHRC Support Staff Union, Bennett Isy, said the new salary structure was supposed to have taken effect from October 1, 2026, but nothing had been done. He accused the Refinery Coordinator, Bayo Adelere, of refusing to implement the approval because of his closeness to the Presidency. “You cannot tell us that the GCEO of the NNPCL approved something and RC will say no. That is insubordination,” Isy said. “We are calling on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to call the RC to order. RC should stop using the powers of Aso Rock to intimidate workers.” He warned that the workers would not back down. “If it’s not implemented in the next 48 hours, to God, we are going to shut down this refinery. Not one soul will gain access to these premises. That I assure you.”
The protest extended beyond Port Harcourt. At the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, hundreds of workers gathered at the refinery entrance, disrupting support operations. The workers, led by their Lead Representative, Dafe Ighomitedo, said they had been denied basic benefits, including housing, transport, medical, hazard, leave, insurance and pension allowances, for more than a decade. They expressed concern over reports that the new salary package approved by the GCEO could be delayed until January 2027, saying, “After more than a decade of waiting, another delay is unacceptable.” They demanded immediate implementation of the package, improved conditions of service and a comprehensive severance package amid reports of a planned 40 per cent workforce rationalisation.
The roots of the crisis run deep. A fact-check report published by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism in March 2026 found that over 300 support staff at PHRC had worked without pay for three months, with workers describing months-long salary delays as routine. One support staff member, whose monthly salary is N156,096, said the last time he was paid was October 2025. He explained that PHRC is supposed to pay contractors, who in turn pay support staff, but the refinery had repeatedly failed to pay the contractors. “Some contractors who had money managed to pay their people for November and December, while those who didn’t have money couldn’t pay,” he said. “Every new year, they owe all support staff for at least three months.” The report noted that the issue affected cleaners, grass cutters and third-party security personnel across the refinery system, including Kaduna and Warri.
The human cost of the delays has been severe. In May 2026, FIJ reported that a support staff member, Kaizer Marshall, died in February after unpaid salaries and a lack of health insurance prevented him from seeking early medical treatment. He was owed salaries for November and December 2025. Workers have also reported hiding from landlords, struggling to feed their families and depending solely on faith to survive.
The Refinery Coordinator, Bayo Adelere, has faced previous calls for his removal. In May 2025, the Host Community Petroleum Bulk Retailers accused him of deliberately sabotaging the facility in favour of a private refinery interest, allegations he has not publicly addressed in detail. The current protest adds a new dimension to the controversy, with workers directly accusing him of insubordination by refusing to implement a salary structure approved by the NNPCL GCEO.
The political context of the protest is significant. The 2027 general elections are less than four months away, and the government has positioned the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery as a flagship achievement of its energy reforms. The refinery resumed operations in November 2024 after years of inactivity, but its operational status has been questioned, with reports of intermittent production and the continued importation of refined products. A prolonged shutdown would undermine the government’s narrative of progress in the downstream sector and could affect fuel supply in the South-South region.
For the support staff who have kept the refinery running while awaiting their wages, the protest represents both a demand for what is owed and a warning that patience has run out. For the NNPCL, the standoff is a test of its ability to manage labour relations and enforce internal discipline, particularly if the Refinery Coordinator is indeed refusing to implement an approval from the Group CEO. For the government, the crisis at one of its most visible energy assets carries reputational and political risks as the election approaches.
The NNPCL has not issued a public response to the workers’ demands or the 48-hour ultimatum. The company has previously said it is working to address welfare issues across the refinery system. The workers have said they will follow due process but have made clear that if their demands are not met, they will shut down the refinery completely. The coming hours will determine whether the ultimatum produces action or whether the gates of the Port Harcourt Refining Company remain closed, with the workers outside and the NNPCL facing a crisis that it cannot afford to ignore.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments