…Tanker drivers to shun depots from Monday

Nigeria may be heading into another round of fuel scarcity as a brewing confrontation between the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Dangote Refinery threatens to disrupt the distribution of petroleum products nationwide.

The union is already galvanizing its tanker drivers’ wing to shun Dangote Refinery depots from Monday, August 8.

In a statement signed by its President, Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, NUPENG accused Dangote Refinery of “anti-labour practices inimical to the survival and livelihoods” of its Petroleum Tanker Drivers’ branch.

The bone of contention is the reported insistence of Dangote Refinery that drivers recruited for its fleet of 10,000 compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks would not be allowed to join any trade union. NUPENG described this position as “an affront on the right of association, guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution and a breach of international labour laws to which Nigeria is a signatory.”

According to the union, several appeals, including joint interventions with the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), urging Alhaji Aliko Dangote to rescind his stance, had been ignored. Matters worsened when on August 29, MRS Holdings, owned by Dangote’s cousin, Alhaji Sayyu Dantata, allegedly began recruiting drivers under the condition that they sign undertakings not to join any union.

“Arising from the unfortunate outcome of the meeting, the leadership of the Union has made several efforts to get relevant institutions of the country to make Alhaji Aliko Dangote and his cousin, Alhaji Sayyu Ali Dantata, follow global best practices and decency but all to no avail,” NUPENG said.

The union warned that such practices amounted to “enslavement” of Nigerian workers.

“To us, amassing wealth on the basis of depriving workers of a union and voice amounts to creating filthy wealth. NUPENG will not stand idly by while these billionaires seek to destroy the livelihoods of thousands of workers, including tanker drivers,” the statement read.

Recalling its earlier support for Dangote Refinery during construction and commissioning, NUPENG said it had expected job creation, sectoral growth, and improved welfare under a “conducive atmosphere for unions to thrive.” Instead, it accused Dangote of seeking to “monopolize distribution, crush competition, enslave the sector and raise prices, which would ultimately result in an attack on the living standards of ordinary Nigerians. This is not philanthropy, it is economic sabotage!”

The union has therefore directed its Petroleum Tanker Drivers to stop loading petroleum products from depots starting Monday, September 8, a move that could paralyze fuel supply across the country.

“We call on the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Authority to invoke its powers under Section 32 of the Petroleum Industry Act to check abuse of dominant positions and restrictive business practices,” NUPENG urged.

The statement further stressed that the right to unionize is protected under Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution and under ILO Convention No. 87, which Nigeria ratified in 1960.

“Alhaji Aliko Dangote and his cousin Alhaji Sayyu Ali Dantata should not be allowed to enslave Nigerian workers. They should be made to be lawful business persons and not lawless individuals. Nigeria is a country of laws, not a lawless society.”

The union appealed to the Federal Government and regulatory agencies to intervene urgently, warning that if the situation persists, it would mobilize its members nationwide.

“Meanwhile, since Alhaji Aliko Dangote and his cousin have resolved to replace all Petroleum Tanker Drivers in Nigeria and there is no one or institution that can stop him, the members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch of NUPENG will from Monday, 8th September 2025, start looking for alternative employments and livelihoods.

“We plead with the general public to bear any inconveniences our struggle against this tyranny and indecency may cause,” the statement concluded. (The Sun)

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