The Tony Erha Jungle Tales Series
Prelude: No Fight Is Ever Beautiful
“Okuo imose,” the Edo people say — no fight is attractive. Every fight is ugly. If it doesn’t pluck out teeth, it will surely draw blood.
This ancient wisdom now finds new relevance in the ongoing industrial scuffle between Dangote Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) — a conflict that recently shook the nation’s economic backbone. The crisis, triggered by Dangote’s sack of 800 workers, snowballed into a strike that briefly halted operations. Even after the truce, the dust has not settled.
Like a freestyle American wrestling match where combatants grab whatever they can to strike their opponent, the fray soon became a melee — confused, loud, and bruising. NUPENG, the National Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers, jumped into the ring in solidarity with PENGASSAN, turning what could have been a dispute into a storm.
The result? Nigerians, as usual, became the grass where the elephants fought — groaning under a skyrocketing gas price that leapt from about ₦1,000 to ₦3,200 per kilogram.
The Elephant and the Pit
In the allegory of power, Dangote stands tall — a corporate elephant with investments flowing through his veins like crude oil. To his labour antagonists, he is the monopolist overlord. To his admirers, he is the industrial messiah.
Yet in this contest, the elephant met its match — the Pit — representing the organised labour unions that dig deep, hold firm, and threaten to swallow anything standing over them.
When the Elephant boasts of size, and the Pit of depth, both forget that if the Elephant falls in, neither survives. For when the Pit swallows the Elephant, it swallows itself too.
The Trump Example: The Showmanship of Power
In the theatre of conflict, no one dramatizes it better than Donald Trump — a man who turned even brawls into spectacles. From wrestling arenas to political podiums, Trump blurred the line between leadership and showmanship.
Similarly, Nigeria’s Adams Oshiomhole thrives in the glare of conflict — the quintessential combatant, whether as labour leader, governor, or senator. His entry into the Dangote–PENGASSAN fray was as dramatic as a Trump ringside entrance.
Oshiomhole Enters the Arena
When Oshiomhole criticized PENGASSAN for calling a strike without considering the suffering public, the unions saw red. They branded him persona non grata, banning him from their activities — a puzzling move against a man who once led over 41 affiliate unions under the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).
Like Bruce Lee squaring off with Chuck Norris in Enter the Dragon, Oshiomhole’s re-entry into the labour arena reignited old rivalries. But this time, he wasn’t fighting for the unions. He was speaking for the ordinary Nigerians — the silent casualties of endless strikes and unchecked monopolies.
The Mongoose and the Snake
NUPENG’s outrage evokes the story of the mongoose and the snake — eternal enemies who destroy each other in the name of survival. The union accused Oshiomhole of siding with “the enemy,” forgetting he once wore the same khaki of struggle.
Perhaps, as the late musician Joseph Osayomore sang, “Who know man na him dey kill man.” Familiarity breeds suspicion. Trust, in Nigeria’s labour movement, is a scarce commodity.
Old Warrior, New Arena
Oshiomhole, now in the Senate, has rediscovered his voice as a people’s advocate. His critics call him slippery — like Trump — but none doubt his endurance. Journalist Sufuyan Ojeifo once described him as “a dynamite that comes in pieces.” I would add — a dynamite that turns masses into pieces.
Still agile and fiery, Oshiomhole once threatened to “punch” journalist Reuben Abati during an Arise TV interview, for allegedly misrepresenting him — proof that even in his sixties, the fighter’s spirit hasn’t dimmed.
When Interests Masquerade as Public Good
If this fight between Dangote and the oil unions were truly about public welfare, Nigerians might have applauded. But most strikes today, like this one, are self-serving duels. The unions fight for their perks; corporations fight for profit margins — while the people pay the price.
Despite being Africa’s top oil producer, Nigeria remains starved of affordable fuel and gas. Both sides claim to fight for justice, but neither side feels the hunger of the poor or the weight of the ordinary citizen’s despair.
Coda: The Elephant, the Pit, and the People
The real loser in this spectacle is not Dangote, not PENGASSAN, not even Oshiomhole — but the Nigerian people. The Elephant may still stand tall, and the Pit may still gape wide, but the earth between them — our nation — continues to quake.
Until our leaders and unions learn that power is best measured not by dominance but by service, we shall keep watching the same old match: different fighters, same victims.
The Tony Erha Jungle Tales Series is brought to you by Veteran journalist Tony Erha. He can be reached on +234 703 022 2076 (WhatsApp or SMS only)
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