Members of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) have halted petrol distribution nationwide starting today, Monday, September 8, following a dispute with Dangote Refinery.
Williams Akporeha, the National President of NUPENG, told The Guardian on Sunday that the action was taken in the best interest of the country.
Last week, NUPENG had threatened to strike in response to Dangote Refinery’s plan to exclude thousands of workers on the basis of their union membership.
The union had described the action as anti-labour practices against the country’s relevant labour laws.
Meanwhile, Dangote Refinery-backed groups such as the Tanker Drivers and the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association (DTCDA).
This is just as a group, Economic Rights Activists (ERA), kicked against the NUPENG-planned nationwide strike.
But speaking on the latest development, Akporeha said that Nigerians must stand out against any employer of labour or investor with a slavery mentality.
According to him, if nothing was done, Dangote Refinery planned to ditch 250,000 drivers over their affiliation to NUPENG.
He stated that the strike was necessary for Dangote to be called to order.
“Our protest is for the interest of Nigerians. We’re talking about 250,000 drivers that would be thrown on the street.
“Our members with Dangote refinery and MRS are about to be thrown out, while there is a plan to recruit new ones with a clause that they would not belong to our union,” he said.
He described anti-NUPENG groups as faceless and propaganda allegedly orchestrated by Dangote Refinery, dismissing claims that its members plan to burn Compressed Natural Gas trucks belonging to the oil firm.
“There is nothing like that; those groups are faceless propaganda groups used by the Dangote refinery.”
Akporeha is optimistic that a meeting scheduled for 3pm Monday (today), called by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, between the union and Dangote Refinery, would end the strike.
He stressed that NUPENG’s interest is not to shut down the petrol downstream sector or bring down the economy.
“The minister of labour reached out to us, and they are planning for a meeting tomorrow. The meeting is at 3pm.
“Well, there are two parties involved; for our end, we are optimistic because our action is not to bring down the economy; it is for the interest of the country.
“For individuals, those who want to bridge the laws of the country have to be called to order.
“Nigerians should stand out against any employer or labourer or investor that wants us to be slaves,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria has appealed to both NUPENG and Dangote Refinery to reconcile their differences for the good of the country.
The National President of IPMAN, Abubakar Maigandi, made this appeal in an interview with on Sunday.
He warned marketers against a fuel price hike in the face of the crisis between NUPENG and Dangote Refinery.
“We want both parties to reconcile their differences. We are appealing to both parties to come to the negotiation table,” he said.
NUPENG, IPMAN kick against fuel price hike
Akporeha and Maigandi, in separate interviews, kicked against any petrol marketer and filling station owners who capitalize on the strike to increase fuel prices.
On his part, Akporeha said, “We do not expect any filing station to hike fuel prices.”
“We do not expect any person to capitalize on the strike.”
Maigandi also advanced a similar position, noting that a fuel price hike would not be a good idea in the crisis situation.
“At this time, a fuel price hike is not good,” he said.
It was reported on Sunday that the majority of filling stations’ fuel prices have remained unchanged between N885 and N910 per litre in Abuja.
However, Empire filling stations in the nation’s capital increased the pump price to N950 from N899 per litre as of Sunday.
FG intervention
Earlier, the Nigerian government had urged NUPENG and the Nigerian Labour Congress to shelve the planned strike or its escalation.
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