Group Warns NUPENG: ‘Don’t Destabilise Nigeria Over Dangote Refinery Dispute’
The Mass Action Against Economic Saboteurs (MAAES), a citizens-led coalition, has issued a stern warning to the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) over its threat of a nationwide strike against Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
NUPENG had alleged that Dangote was forcing drivers employed to handle its newly deployed 4,000 compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered trucks to renounce union membership.
Source: UGC
The union threatened to direct its Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch to halt fuel loading nationwide starting September 8 if its demands were not met.
“Union membership is a choice”
In a statement on Saturday, MAAES President George Priye West said NUPENG’s claims were unfounded and dangerous, describing them as a veiled attempt to hold Nigeria hostage.
“The Supreme Court has already affirmed that union membership is a personal right. No worker can be compelled to join a union against their will. Any strike based on such flimsy grounds is not about labour rights but an attempt to destabilise Nigeria and punish millions of innocent citizens,” West declared.
Dangote Refinery as a national asset
The group defended Dangote Petroleum Refinery, describing it as a landmark $20 billion investment that is creating thousands of jobs, boosting local capacity, and reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported fuel.
“Dangote Refinery is not enslaving anyone; it is offering decent jobs and a long-awaited solution to our fuel import crisis. To paint it as a threat is pure mischief,” West said.
The coalition also condemned NUPENG’s threats as insensitive, given Nigeria’s current economic challenges.
It argued that unions that stood idle during the collapse of state-owned refineries should not be allowed to sabotage the country’s most ambitious private-sector project.
Call for government intervention
MAAES urged the federal government and security agencies to take immediate steps to prevent any strike that could cripple the petroleum supply nationwide.
“Any attempt to declare a strike on this hollow basis must be treated as economic sabotage, even as an act of terrorism against the people. The government must not fold its arms while vested interests blackmail the nation into chaos,” the coalition said.
West further called on Nigerians to remain calm and ignore rumours of scarcity, insisting that the strike threat is a ploy by entrenched interests who cannot withstand competition.
Defending workers’ rights and choices
The coalition clarified that it is not opposed to unionism but emphasised that freedom of association cuts both ways.
“The right to join a union is sacred, but so too is the right not to join one. What NUPENG seeks to do is impose its will on workers to preserve its relevance. That is not democracy; it is tyranny, and it will not stand,” West said.
“Refinery Is Nigeria’s Lifeline”
According to MAAES, the Dangote Refinery represents Nigeria’s best chance at achieving energy self-sufficiency and ending decades of fuel import dependence.
Source: Getty Images
“This refinery is not the enemy. It is a lifeline for Nigeria. Those trying to see it fail are not fighting for workers or citizens—they are fighting for their pockets. Nigerians must rise to defend it as a national asset,” West concluded.
Dangote Refinery shuts down petrol production unit
Legit.ng earlier reported that Nigeria’s 650,000-barrels-per-day Dangote Refinery has temporarily shut down its petrol-producing unit following a technical fault.
The shutdown, which began on August 29, is expected to last at least two weeks as engineers work to fix a catalyst leak in the 204,000 bpd Residue Fluidised Catalytic Cracking Unit (RFCCU).
Industry tracker IIR Energy confirmed the development, while two other sources in the oil sector also verified the downtime but requested anonymity. The refinery has not yet issued an official statement on the matter.
Source: Legit.ng
