NUPENG Vows To Continue Strike After Talks With Dangote Collapse

NUPENG Vows To Continue Strike After Talks With Dangote Collapse.
Union insists only recognised oil unions can represent tanker drivers.
Fuel depots remain shut nationwide, raising fears of looming scarcity.

The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has vowed to continue its nationwide strike after talks with Dangote Refinery management collapsed.

A reconciliation meeting convened on Monday by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, ended in a stalemate as both parties clashed over the unionisation of tanker drivers at the multi-billion-dollar refinery.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that speaking on Arise News Television, NUPENG President, Williams Akporeha, accused the Dangote management of refusing to recognise established oil unions and instead creating a parallel drivers’ association.

“The strike is still on. We started yesterday. As it is, we are still open to dialogue. Discussions are going on, but the strike is still on,” Akporeha said.

He alleged that Dangote’s representative, Sayyu Dantata, walked out of the meeting, describing the refinery’s approach as dictatorial.

“We thought yesterday’s meeting would resolve the issue. But what we saw shows Nigerians that we are dealing with a dictator investor. The strike continues anyway, though I am hopeful reason will prevail,” he added.

Akporeha stressed that only NUPENG and PENGASSAN are legally recognised oil and gas unions, warning that attempts to sideline them would not succeed. He dismissed allegations of sabotage, insisting that NUPENG supports Dangote Refinery’s success but expects it to operate within labour laws.

The strike, which began on Monday, has already disrupted petroleum loading across depots in Lagos, Warri, Port Harcourt, and Delta State. Facilities such as the Aradel Refinery in Port Harcourt and the Kwale Hydrocarbon plant in Delta have also been shut.

Despite appeals from the Federal Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress, the strike has paralysed operations at major depots, fuelling fears of nationwide scarcity if the standoff persists.

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