By Ayodele Oni
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has threatened to resume the suspended strike, few days ago, following a breach of agreement reached by the management of Dangote Refinery.
The union accused Dangote Refinery management of reneging on a government-brokered agreement.
The accusation is coming 48 hours after NUPENG agreed to recall its members from the strike they embarked upon to press management of the refinery t allow workers to unionize.
NUPENG President, Williams Akporeha and General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale made the claim in a joint statement on Thursday in Abuja.
The parties had met behind closed doors at the office of the State Security Service. The meeting was attended by the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC) and Dangote Refinery officials.
They agreed on the unionisation of refinery and petrochemical workers. NUPENG stated that the truce broke down almost immediately.
The union alleges that Alhaji Sayyu Aliu Dantata, who represented Dangote at the DSS meeting, ordered long-standing NUPENG-PTD drivers to peel off their union stickers, saying the drivers were then pushed to load trucks in defiance of union loading rules.
NUPENG stressed it does not intend to disrupt fuel supplies or make life harder for ordinary Nigerians, and appealed to the Federal Government to rein in Dangote management.
In a statement titled “Alert to the Nation: Dangote empire negates resolutions reached,” NUPENG states:
“This is to alert the general public and the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that, notwithstanding the resolution reached and signed at the office of the DSS with three Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Deputy Director General of the DSS in attendance on the right of unionisation of the workers, Alh. Sayyu Aliu Dantata, on Wednesday, 10th September 2025, instructed all his truck drivers who are NUPENG-PTD members for several years to remove the union stickers from their trucks yesterday.
“Today, Thursday, 11th September 2025, he instructed them to forcefully drive into Dangote Refinery to load, and union officials stopped them from entering the refinery to load because their trucks violated union loading rules and regulations.
“Alh. Sayyu Aliu Dantata flew over them several times with his helicopter and then called the Navy of the Federal Republic to come over ostensibly to crush the union officials.
“Our members are waiting for him and his agents to run them over. We call on everyone to let Alh. Sayyu Aliu Dantata know that he is not bigger than the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and we strongly condemn his arrogant attitude towards official institutions of this great country and blatant lack of respect for the laws of this country.
“We call on the Federal Government not to allow the Navy and other security agents being paid by the resources of this country, to be used with impunity against the laws and people of this country.
“Security agents should not allow an individual to ride roughshod with impunity, even while not observing terms of agreement reached in meetings in which security agents facilitated, along with Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We are by this statement placing all our members on red alert for the resumption of the suspended nationwide industrial action and calling on the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, all regional and global working people, and civil society organisations to rise in support and solidarity against this threat of the capitalist world.
“His wealth cannot make him be above the law.
“We assure the people and the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that NUPENG will continue to remain a patriotic, responsible and responsive organisation to this great country. Our solidarity remains constant, for the Union makes us strong!”
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