Ndume Warns Labour Unions Against Targeting Dangote Refinery

Former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, on Wednesday cautioned labour unions and stakeholders in the oil and gas sector against what he described as a deliberate attempt to demonise Dangote Refinery.

His remarks followed the ongoing dispute between the refinery’s management and the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), as well as the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN).

NUPENG had recently embarked on industrial action, shutting down depots over allegations that the refinery denied truck drivers the right to unionize as stipulated in the Trade Union Act. DAPPMAN, meanwhile, accused the refinery of stifling competition by allegedly offering cheaper products to foreign traders while selling at higher rates to Nigerian marketers.

Although the Department of State Services has waded in, tensions remain in the downstream sector.

In a statement issued in Abuja, Ndume condemned what he termed “a poisonous media campaign” against Dangote. He urged NUPENG, PENGASSAN, and other stakeholders to embrace dialogue rather than fueling division.

“Our common goal should be to balance labour rights with national development, not to make ordinary Nigerians suffer from needless power tussles,” he said.

The Borno South senator recalled that previous governments granted refinery licenses to several private operators since 2002, but most licensees failed to act. According to him, while many license holders benefitted from crude allocations, it was Dangote who took the risk to build a refinery.

Ndume dismissed allegations of monopoly, stressing that the Federal Government has already deregulated the sector under the Petroleum Industry Act, which allows for fair competition.

“It is wrong to talk about monopoly in a deregulated industry. No operator has been given special concessions to the detriment of others,” he added.

He called on regulators, including the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), to intervene and prevent disputes from disrupting petroleum distribution.