The Movement of Intellectuals for National Development (MIND) has condemned the recent statement issued by the National Secretariat of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), in which the union attempts to distance itself from the petition submitted by MIND to the President regarding the persistent and well-documented ill-treatment of Nigerian employees by the management of TotalEnergies in Nigeria.
MIND said it found PENGASSAN’s response deeply disappointing, evasive, and fundamentally inconsistent with the core responsibilities of a labour union that claims to exist for the protection and welfare of its members.
Ebi Warekromo, MIND’s Western Coordinator, in a statement, maintained that its petition was not based on conjecture or hearsay but grounded in verifiable facts, lived experiences of affected Nigerian workers, and written correspondence authored by PENGASSAN itself. According to him, issues bordering on unfair labour practices, managerial excesses within TotalEnergies Nigeria, hostile work environments, including allegations of bullying and intimidation by expatriate staff such as Jean-Christophe Agrati and Sabine Brochard have been reported by the local branch of PENGASSAN.
He stated further that other listed concerns are serious security breaches and blatant local content violations, particularly the illegal perpetuation of expatriate positions beyond approved tenures, in clear contravention of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act.
According to him, describing these concerns as issues within internal correspondence not meant for public consumption” is both weak and disingenuous.
‘’Issues involving workers’ rights violations, systemic oppression, and abuse of corporate power cease to be internal once they remain unresolved and continue to harm Nigerian workers. Internal engagement is only defensible when it delivers results; when it fails repeatedly, escalation to public and institutional oversight becomes not only justified, but necessary,’’ he said.
Warekromo, while questioning PENGASSAN’s independence, credibility, and willingness to confront powerful corporate interests on behalf of its members, stressed that a labour union exists to protect workers.
The statement read in part, ‘’MIND wishes to state clearly that our intervention is not an attack on PENGASSAN as an institution. It is a response to a vacuum of effective representation—one that has allowed oppressive practices to persist unchecked. Where unions fail or refuse to act decisively, civil society has both the right and the duty to step in.
‘’If PENGASSAN truly has nothing to hide, nothing to fear, and nothing to explain, it should welcome rather than resist public scrutiny.
‘’Accordingly, MIND formally challenges the leadership of PENGASSAN to make itself available for a transparent public hearing before the Nigerian Senate, alongside other relevant stakeholders, to openly address the substance of the grievances raised against TotalEnergies Nigeria
‘’Attempts to intimidate whistleblowers or “investigate breaches” of confidentiality only deepen public concern and reinforce the perception of institutional complicity.
The Nigerian public, Nigerian workers, and the Senate of the Federal Republic deserve honesty—not distancing statements, procedural excuses, or selective amnesia.
‘’MIND remains steadfast in its commitment to justice, fairness, and accountability in Nigeria’s extractive sector. We urge PENGASSAN’s leadership to reflect deeply on the path it is choosing and to realign itself with the workers whose dues, trust, and mandate give it legitimacy.’’