The battle of accusations between Africa’s richest industrialist, Aliko Dangote, and the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) escalated on Friday as the Dangote Petroleum Refinery demanded accountability for billions allegedly wasted on government refineries.
According to the Dangote Group, successive governments reportedly expended $18 billion on turnaround maintenance projects for the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries, yet none of the plants operate today. “Who are the people who spent all these humongous amounts without any result? Can NUPENG assist Nigerians to unravel this?” the company stated in a release.
The refinery also reminded Nigerians that in 2007, when it participated in the privatisation of the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries, NUPENG was one of the strongest voices that campaigned against the sale, which was later reversed.
The recent clash comes as NUPENG accused Dangote of preventing its petroleum tanker drivers from joining the union, alleging the refinery was engineering a rival body known as the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association.
In its defence, Dangote dismissed claims of monopolisation in the fuel market, noting that its refinery operates under the supervision of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority in a deregulated environment.
On Friday, the Ministry of Labour convened another peace meeting in Abuja at the Department of State Services office. NUPENG President Williams Akporeha confirmed that both sides were told to respect the memorandum of understanding signed earlier in the week, though the union remains unconvinced of Dangote’s compliance.
The dispute erupted after NUPENG staged a nationwide depot shutdown on Monday, protesting alleged restrictions on 4,000 newly recruited drivers for Dangote’s compressed natural gas-powered trucks. Though the strike was suspended after an agreement, the union insists Dangote has violated the deal.
While NUPENG accuses Dangote of deploying “falsehoods” and a “Greek gift” of free nationwide fuel delivery to crush competition, the company counters that it supports constitutionally protected workers’ rights to unionise.
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