Buratai on the Ground in Lusaka as Africa’s Diplomats Rally for Change

LUSAKA — In a powerful show of continental unity and vision, the League of African Ambassadors (LAA) is set to officially launch in Lusaka, Zambia, promising to become a game-changer in Africa’s socio-political and economic diplomacy.

On the evening of October 5th, 2025, distinguished members of the LAA, led by Ambassador Ominyi Nwanne, the Interim President of the League of African Ambassadors (LAA), the immediate past Nigerian High Commissioner to Zambia and Zambian Special Envoy Ambassador Lazarus Kapambwe, held an exclusive briefing and dinner at Pamodzi Hotel, outlining plans for the historic event.

Among the distinguished guests was the Board of Trustees member representing West Africa and former Nigerian Army Chief, His Excellency Ambassador Lt. General T.Y. Buratai, who is currently on an on-ground assessment mission ahead of the launch.

Buratai’s Message of Unity and Vision for Africa

General Buratai commended the Zambian President, His Excellency Hakainde Hichilema, for his progressive leadership of Zambia and Africa. He appreciated the Zambian President for graciously taking over the hosting of the LAA and its grand launch scheduled for October 14 and 15, 2025.

Reflecting on Africa’s liberation movements in the 19th and 20th centuries, Buratai recalled the immense contributions of Zambia’s founding father, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, of blessed memory. “Kenneth Kaunda will always be remembered for his unwavering commitment to Pan-Africanism and liberation. He was a champion of peace, unity, and reconciliation — a man of profound humility and personal integrity,” Buratai said.

He urged the League to continue from where Africa’s founding fathers stopped, stressing that the issues of security, development, and progress remain elusive across the continent. With the birth of the LAA, Buratai called for a new era of robust, progressive, and pragmatic diplomacy to tackle Africa’s myriad challenges.

The former Army Chief also commended the interim president, the chairman and vice chairman of the local organising committee, and all members for their vision, solidarity, commitment, and sacrifices toward ensuring the success of the launch.

Buratai was accompanied by his close friend, His Royal Majesty, Oba Alhaji (Dr.) Hameed Oyelude Makama, Tegbosun III, the Olowu of Owu-Kuta Kingdom, a distinguished and influential monarch from Osun State, Nigeria.

A Call to Action for Africa

In a stirring statement, Deputy Spokesperson Ambassador John J. Usanga urged all African stakeholders to “join the League, lend your voice, and shape Africa’s future together. History will judge us not by our hesitations, but by the actions we take today.”

Zanaco: A Strategic Partner in Economic Diplomacy

Ahead of the launch, the LAA planning committee made a courtesy visit to Zanaco headquarters in downtown Lusaka, where CEO Ms. Mukwandi Chibesakunda hailed the League as a vital partner in advancing Africa’s economic diplomacy.

“The knowledge and experience I see in this room is immense,” she said, noting that the LAA complements existing government initiatives and can catalyze long-term continental growth.

The LAA, a non-profit and non-political continental body comprising retired and serving envoys, models itself after the Council of American Ambassadors in the United States and the European Council on Foreign Relations. Its inaugural launch, scheduled for October 14th, will host delegates from across Africa and beyond.

Ambassador Sylvester Mundanda, the LAA’s administrative head, added, “Zanaco’s pan-African reach and credibility make it the perfect partner as we pursue economic diplomacy. Their commitment to sustainability, financial growth, and social development aligns seamlessly with our vision for Africa Rising.”

Building on Experience, Recycling Wisdom

Ambassador Kapambwe emphasized the League’s mission: “Recycling wisdom and experience earned at a huge cost is invaluable. If we can recycle plastic, why not recycle the knowledge and expertise of Africa’s ambassadors?”

The Lusaka launch promises to set the stage for an enduring legacy, ensuring that Africa’s diplomatic experience is preserved, shared, and leveraged for the continent’s development.

Interim President Ominyi Nwanne, Foreign Affairs Minister Hon. Mulambo Haimbe, and other key stakeholders were recognized for their pivotal roles in making this historic event possible.

With Zambia’s central location, peaceful democratic credentials, and growing reputation as a hub for regional diplomacy, the LAA’s continental launch is poised to become a defining moment for Africa’s collective vision and ambition.

Africa Rising: The Journey Begins

As the countdown to October 14th continues, one message resonates across the continent: Africa’s future is a shared responsibility — and the League of African Ambassadors is ready to lead by example.

…Accuse PENGASSAN, NUPENG Of Plot To Introduce Corruption Into Private Refinery

…Urge Attorney General Of The Federation To Order Thorough Probe Of Union’s Financial Activities In The Last 10 Years

In a show of unprecedented unity across Nigeria’s diverse ethnic landscapes, prominent groups from the North, South-West, South-East and South-South have thrown their weight behind the Dangote Refinery’s recent decision to lay off over 800 employees amid escalating labour tensions.

The groups under the aegis of One Nigeria Movement (ONM) held emergency meetings in Kaduna, Lagos, Enugu and Port Harcourt respectively to accuse the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) of orchestrating a sinister plot to infiltrate and corrupt the operations of Africa’s largest private refinery.

The pan-Nigerian solidarity comes as PENGASSAN’s nationwide strike, declared on September 28, cripples crude and gas supplies to the facility, threatening fuel scarcity and power outages just as the nation edges toward energy self-sufficiency under President Bola Tinubu’s reforms.

The crisis, which has gripped the nation’s oil and gas sector for weeks, erupted when Dangote Refinery dismissed the workers on September 25, citing “repeated acts of sabotage” during an ongoing reorganization to repair a key gasoline unit shut down in late August.

PENGASSAN and NUPENG, which had earlier secured a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on September 9 allowing voluntary unionization after NUPENG’s initial strike threat, claim the layoffs were punitive retaliation for over 90% of staff joining their ranks, allegedly replacing Nigerians with over 2,000 Indian expatriates in violation of labor laws and International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions.

Dangote Industries, however, insists the affected employees numbered far fewer than reported and were let go to safeguard operational integrity, emphasizing that over 3,000 Nigerians remain in its workforce and that union membership is a protected individual right, not a prerequisite for employment.

Federal mediation efforts by the Ministry of Labour and Employment stalled on Monday, with talks set to resume today amid fears of broader economic fallout, including halted truck loadings and potential blackouts from thermal plant shutdowns.

In Kaduna, the Arewa Youth Forum decried the unions’ actions as a “deliberate assault on Northern economic aspirations.”

Led by convener Malam Idris Suleiman, the AYF framed the layoffs as a “defensive necessity to block infiltrators intent on reviving subsidy-era corruption in a private enterprise.”

Suleiman accused PENGASSAN and NUPENG of exploiting the MoU to “embed racketeers who siphoned billions from public refineries through ghost contracts,” warning that their strike threatens the refinery’s role in stabilizing the naira and curbing inflation, now below 20% for the first time in years.

“The Arewa Youth Forum unequivocally supports Dangote Refinery’s layoffs to purge saboteurs, safeguarding Northern hopes for economic revival.

“We accuse PENGASSAN and NUPENG of scheming to implant corrupt syndicates into this private enterprise, echoing their subsidy thefts, and urge Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi to launch an EFCC probe into their financial dealings from 2015 to 2025 to expose illicit gains.”

In Ibadan, the Oduduwa Peace Advocates (OPA) endorsed Dangote Refinery’s sackings as a “bold stand against labor-induced corruption.”

The high-level caucus, attended by over 120 Yoruba leaders, condemned PENGASSAN’s strike escalation on Monday, which halted field operations, as an “attack on Yoruba entrepreneurial spirit.”

OPA spokesperson Chief Tunde Afolabi highlighted the refinery’s role in strengthening Lagos-Ibadan trade corridors, now at risk from union-driven fuel shortages that could spike transport costs by 30%.

OPA traced the dispute to deliberate sabotage linked to the August gasoline unit failure, costing $100 million in repairs, and accused unions of using the MoU to “plant cronies mirroring NNPCL’s $20 billion subsidy heists.”

Afolabi praised Bola Tinubu’s deregulation, which has attracted $50 billion in upstream investments, and dismissed PENGASSAN’s claims of anti-Nigerian layoffs as “propaganda to mask their greed,” noting the refinery’s 3,000-strong Nigerian workforce.

The group urged Yoruba youth to rally behind Dangote, framing it as a symbol of regional innovation.

“These unions, silent during fuel queues that crippled Yoruba traders, now feign advocacy to line their pockets,” Afolabi declared.

Meanwhile the Igbo Young Professionals Forum (IYPF) assembled in Enugu for a stakeholder summit, endorsing Dangote Refinery’s layoffs as a “preemptive strike against corruption’s spread into Nigeria’s private sector.”

The forum, drawing tech entrepreneurs and youth leaders, slammed PENGASSAN and NUPENG’s strike as a “ploy to sabotage Igbo economic aspirations” by disrupting fuel supplies vital to Aba’s markets.

IYPF President Chidi Okonkwo tied the refinery’s stability to the potential for 100,000 Eastern jobs, now threatened by union actions risking the Q4 2024 N3.42 trillion trade surplus.

IYPF dissected the unions’ tactics, linking the sackings to sabotage behind the August unit failure and accusing PENGASSAN and NUPENG of exploiting the MoU to “embed agents who thrived on subsidy scams.”

Okonkwo criticized their opaque finances, including unaccounted dues from IOCs, and connected the crisis to PIA-driven gains like 1.4 billion barrels unlocked via field plans.

The group mobilized diaspora networks to pressure global labor bodies, arguing that PENGASSAN’s “prayer vigil” strikes violate voluntary unionization laws.

“Igbo ingenuity thrives on fairness; we stand with Dangote to block saboteurs prioritizing profit over progress,” Okonkwo affirmed, urging federal action.

On its part, the Niger Delta Peace and Development Assembly (NDPDA) convened a critical town hall in Port Harcourt, voicing robust support for Dangote Refinery’s sackings as a “stand against union sabotage threatening the Niger Delta’s economic lifeline.” The gathering, attended by oil community leaders and environmental activists, condemned PENGASSAN and NUPENG’s strike as a “betrayal of the region’s resource control struggle,” risking fuel shortages that could cripple Port Harcourt’s industrial zones.

NDPDA convener Mrs. Ebiere Okorie linked the refinery’s stability to equitable wealth distribution under the PIA, vital for fishing and trading communities.

NDPDA highlighted how the layoffs countered sabotage linked to the August shutdown, accusing unions of exploiting the MoU to “embed corrupt agents who profited from subsidy scams.”

“These unions ignored Niger Delta suffering under fuel scarcity while pocketing illicit gains; now they threaten our hope for self-sufficiency,” Okorie declared.

The assembly urged Niger Delta youth to reject union protests, framing Dangote as a partner in local refining capacity.

“Our region has bled from NNPCL’s failures; we won’t let PENGASSAN turn Dangote into another looting ground,” Okorie asserted, calling for a federal injunction to halt the strike’s “economic terrorism” before mediation resumes.

Why NUPENG and PENGASSAN Must Stop Terrorising Nigerians

By Kunle Ayo

Recent actions by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) in the oil and gas sector reveal a desperate attempt by certain actors to exploit Nigerians’ sensibilities, perpetuating lawlessness, economic sabotage, and threats to national security for the benefit of a few at the expense of the broader population.

It is an affront to Nigerians’ intelligence that NUPENG and PENGASSAN, historically complicit in the deliberate and egregious degeneration of the oil and gas sector, have long acted as enablers of self-interest. These unions have been directly implicated in decades of inflicting untold hardship on ordinary Nigerians through their neglect, complicity, and collaboration with enemies of the state. Their sudden posturing as defenders of workers’ rights—when their actions have contributed to the suffering of millions—is both hypocritical and insulting.

The recent decision by NUPENG and PENGASSAN to embark on strike action aligns with their persistent assault on the foundation of Nigeria’s economy, which President Tinubu’s administration is working tirelessly to revive. This calculated move seeks to drag the nation back to the dark days of fuel scarcity, economic instability, and national embarrassment, orchestrated by a handful of Nigerians and their foreign collaborators, with NUPENG and PENGASSAN as willing participants.

To call their actions detrimental to Nigeria’s social and economic progress is an understatement. The negative impact on social services is immense, as their strikes have led to the shutdown of thermal power plants, threatening to plunge the nation into physical and economic darkness. This cripples economic and social activities, placing millions of households and small businesses at a severe disadvantage.

NUPENG and PENGASSAN have made no secret of their self-serving intentions, prioritizing a culture of impunity, primitive wealth accumulation, monopoly, and destructive behavior over patriotism.

Their actions consistently place personal gain above the needs of the nation and its citizens, undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence, independence, and economic growth.

Under the guise of unionism and workers’ rights, NUPENG and PENGASSAN have chosen to inflict undue hardship on Nigerians, rejecting platforms for constructive dialogue. Their concerns are not genuine but rather mischievous, selfish, and treasonable, opting for self-help tactics that bring untold suffering to citizens and residents instead of pursuing collaborative solutions.

The federal government’s efforts to facilitate peaceful resolutions to these disputes have been rebuffed by NUPENG and PENGASSAN, who instead escalate their campaign to promote economic instability. Blinded by self-interest, they have failed to grasp the broader implications of their actions and refused to work toward solutions that benefit Nigerians.

Nigerians are neither fools nor gullible enough to fall for their deceptive tactics. The unions’ attempt to sell a false narrative about mass layoffs at Dangote Refinery is a fraud, mirroring their own duplicity. Their efforts to mislead Nigerians for selfish ends have failed. These misguided actors, driven by corrupt motives, remain insensitive to the decades of suffering caused by oil subsidy profiteers.

For years, NUPENG and PENGASSAN remained silent during fuel scarcity crises, ignoring the plight of Nigerians who were reduced to economic servitude in one of the world’s richest oil-producing nations. Yet, they now claim to champion workers’ rights at a time when fuel prices are stabilizing, the forex market is steady, the naira is strengthening against the dollar, and inflation is declining. They suddenly find fault when fuel is widely available, governors can pay salaries and pensions, and viable competition thrives in Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector, attracting foreign investment due to economic stability.

How can any sincere labour union, concerned with the welfare of its members and the nation’s economic viability, remain silent when massive fraud is perpetrated by a few citizens in collaboration with foreign actors? Billions of dollars in Nigerian funds have been laundered under fictitious pretexts by union officials, and the fraudulent fuel subsidy scheme, orchestrated through a corrupt Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), has caused immense harm.

Yet, NUPENG and PENGASSAN now claim to fight for workers’ rights with a fabricated narrative.
NUPENG and PENGASSAN should be well aware of labor laws and their applications. They cannot claim ignorance that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) does not compel staff of private universities to unionize, nor does the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) force workers at private transport companies like GUO or God is Good Motors to join its union.

Similarly, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) does not mandate teachers in private schools to become members. Union membership is an individual’s private and exclusive right, not a mandatory or national obligation. How many times have NUPENG and PENGASSAN gone on strike to address the failures of Nigeria’s refineries despite billions spent, or to end the fuel subsidy scam?

NUPENG and PENGASSAN have no right to interfere in the internal administration of Dangote Refinery or any other private corporate entity. Their consistent role as saboteurs, aimed at derailing national progress, reveals them as stooges of sedition and terrorism. In a foolish attempt to serve their paymasters, they have declared war on the common man, making a mockery of themselves.
How does halting crude oil and gas supplies serve justice if workers are laid off?

Can self-help and blackmail assist affected staff or benefit ordinary Nigerians? Dialogue and legal avenues, not reckless actions, are the appropriate means to resolve disputes. Ironically, the processes NUPENG and PENGASSAN oppose are the very ones that have brought relief, alleviated suffering, and restored hope. These processes have stabilized fuel costs, promoted deregulation, reduced foreign interference in the oil and gas sector, and delivered numerous benefits.

We must echo the voice of Hon. Dr. Philip Agbese, Deputy Spokesperson of the Federal House of Representatives, who rightly declared this affront against Dangote Refinery as an attack on national security, the economy, and the common man. NUPENG and PENGASSAN must cease acting as tools of saboteurs to derail Nigeria’s progress. They must stop making a caricature of themselves, as times have changed, and a new era of accountability has begun.

The Dangote Refinery has come to stay, driving Nigeria’s economic independence and progress through its transformative impact on the oil and gas sector. Nigerians stand united in resolute support of this vital enterprise, rejecting the sabotage of self-serving actors posing as trade unionists. With the people’s backing, Dangote Refinery will prevail against these economic adversaries, securing a future of stability and prosperity.

*Ayo writes from Lagos