Fuel distribution across Nigeria was crippled on Monday as the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) began a nationwide strike over a dispute with Dangote Refinery.
NUPENG President, Williams Akporeha, told newsmen on Sunday that the action was necessary to resist “slavery mentality” in the country’s labour space.
Last week, the union accused Dangote Refinery of plotting to sack 250,000 tanker drivers affiliated with NUPENG, replacing them with non-unionised workers, an action it described as “anti-labour and against Nigeria’s laws.”
“Our protest is for the interest of Nigerians. We’re talking about 250,000 drivers that would be thrown on the street,” Akporeha declared. “Nigerians must stand out against any employer or investor that wants us to be slaves.”
Dangote-backed groups such as the Tanker Drivers Association and Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association (DTCDA) have opposed NUPENG’s action, while rights group Economic Rights Activists (ERA) condemned the strike as harmful to the economy, The News Chronicle gathered.
But Akporeha dismissed them as “faceless propaganda groups” allegedly sponsored by the refinery, rejecting claims that NUPENG members planned to torch Dangote-owned Compressed Natural Gas trucks.
The union leader expressed optimism that a 3 pm meeting scheduled for Monday by Labour Minister Muhammad Dingyadi could yield a breakthrough. “Our action is not to bring down the economy but to protect Nigerian workers,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) urged both parties to resolve their differences swiftly. Its President, Abubakar Maigandi, cautioned against panic profiteering:
“At this time, a fuel price hike is not good. We appeal to both sides to reconcile at the negotiation table,” he said.
Checks in Abuja showed most filling stations kept prices between ₦885 and ₦910 per litre on Sunday, though Empire stations raised theirs to ₦950.
The Federal Government has already urged NUPENG and the Nigeria Labour Congress to shelve the strike to avert further disruption.
