Dangote refinery accused of stirring trouble among tanker drivers — NUPENG speaks out
By: Akinde Oluwaseun
It’s getting messy. The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) just dropped a bombshell. They say Dangote Petroleum Refinery is playing dirty—splitting tanker drivers, blocking their union rights, and spreading what they call “falsehoods” to weaken the union’s grip.
Here’s the twist: Dangote’s offering free nationwide petroleum delivery. Sounds generous, right? NUPENG calls it a “Greek gift”—a sneaky move to crush competition and control drivers.
Last Monday, NUPENG shut down depots, protesting that new drivers for Dangote’s 4,000 CNG trucks weren’t allowed to join the union. The shutdown lasted till Tuesday, after a deal brokered by the Ministry of Labour. But by Thursday, NUPENG claimed Dangote wasn’t playing fair.
Dangote fired back, saying the union’s claims are “entirely unfounded” and insisted they support workers’ rights to join any union they want. They even said the new trucks aren’t a threat to workers’ welfare.
But NUPENG isn’t buying it. They say after signing a Memorandum of Understanding on September 9, Dangote told drivers two days later to peel off NUPENG stickers and slap on ones from a new company-backed group—the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association. NUPENG calls this a clear attempt to create a rival union and divide the drivers.
The union also pointed fingers at some media supporters of Dangote, linking them to ongoing criminal cases. And they warned Nigerians not to be fooled by the “free delivery” offer, which they say is just a tactic to squeeze out competition and force drivers into the company’s own association.
NUPENG reminded everyone that Dangote has a history of blocking unions in its cement and sugar plants—and now, refinery workers are feeling the same heat.
The union ended with a strong call: Nigerians and the world must stand up for refinery workers’ right to unionize. And a warning—no harm must come to their leaders in this fight.
“Our solidarity remains constant, for the union makes us strong,” they said.
The story’s far from over.
