Face-off: NUPENG accuses Dangote group of being economical with truth

*Insists institution actions purpose astatine undermining national rights, competition

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

LAGOS — Tensions betwixt the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, and the Dangote Group escalated connected Thursday arsenic the national accused the conglomerate of undermining workers’ rights and attempting to weaken contention successful the downstream petroleum sector.
In a connection signed by NUPENG President, Prince Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, the national said Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s property connection of September 11, 2025, misrepresented facts astir its narration with workers and their state to articulation NUPENG.
The connection reads: “The Press Statement by DANGOTE Petroleum Refinery dated 11th September 2025 has further confirmed the institution aims astatine crushing our union-NUPENG arsenic good arsenic crushing competition, with the eventual extremity of expanding substance terms connected the agelong run.
“The effort to make an illusion and misinformation of part wrong our Union is not lone malicious but unfounded fabricated. If it was existent that determination was a faction successful our Union, DANGOTE should person made this “faction of Tanker Drivers” to
call disconnected oregon halt the nationwide concern enactment of Petroleum Tanker Drivers declared and directed by the NUPENG which was precise effective, peaceful and 1 100 percent successful. The Dangote Refinery besides falsely denies it does not halt its motortruck drivers from belonging to
NUPENG.
“However, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed connected 9th September 2025 is predicated upon a designation of the company’s absorption to unionisation. The commencement of the MoU is truthful a confirmation of archetypal absorption to allowing state of Association.
“In spite of the MoU of 9th September 2025, connected the 11th of September 2025, the Dangote Refinery directed that the stickers of NUPENG beryllium removed from each trucks to beryllium replaced by the sticker of the Association, the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association (DTCDA) formed by the management. Our members person stoutly resisted this development.
“Individuals who person serially mislaid elections wrong the Petroleum Tanker
Drivers (PTD) Branch of our Union since 2023 are person go spokespersons of DTCDA . Some of these individuals are among those granting media interviews successful section and overseas media supporting the company.
“Nigerians should besides cognize that immoderate of these radical are facing transgression charges astatine the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja (with complaint no- CR/042/23) for convulsive crimes committed successful attempting to assassinate elected and appointed leaders of
the PTD Branch and NUPENG.
“In the onslaught by these agents, the General Secretary of NUPENG was beaten to Coma and was lone revived successful the hospital. The ongoing transgression proceedings against these individuals is simply a factual information that tin beryllium verified.
“Nigerians should not beryllium deceived by the connection of escaped nationwide transportation of petroleum products to dispensing stations. It is to guarantee that different employers of Petroleum Truck Drivers are incapable to employment drivers truthful that lone those employed by the institution who are forced to articulation the DTCDA volition stay successful employment. Everything is targeted astatine crushing NUPENG and its PTD Branch.
“It is besides noteworthy to authorities present that, speech from the Petroleum Tanker Drivers, determination are different operational and administrative workers of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical
Company which the absorption has been preventing and obstructing their rights of belonging to the Union. It is connected grounds that DANGOTE Group does not let unionization of workers successful each its cement and sweetener plants crossed Nigeria.
“Nigerians should not enactment a enactment statement successful which drivers and different workers successful the Dangote Group volition beryllium denied the close to bask state of relation and unionisation.”
As of property time, Dangote Group had yet to respond to the latest allegations, though its earlier connection insisted that relation with immoderate commercialized national astatine its refinery is strictly voluntary and successful enactment with Nigerian instrumentality and International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions.

The station Face-off: NUPENG accuses Dangote radical of being economical with truth appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.