The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has placed its members on red alert for the possible resumption of its suspended nationwide industrial action.
In a statement on Thursday, signed by Williams Akporeha, NUPENG’s National President, and Afolabi Olawale, the General Secretary, the union accused Alhaji Sayyu Dantata, founder of MRS Oil, of instigating fresh hostilities against its members.
According to NUPENG, the crisis began after Dantata allegedly directed his truck drivers, who have been members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) arm of the union for several years, to strip off union stickers from their vehicles.
“This is to alert the general public and the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that notwithstanding the resolution reached and signed at the office of the DSS with three Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Deputy Director General of the DSS in attendance on the right of unionization of the Workers, Alh Sayyu Aliu Dantata on Wednesday, 10th September, 2025 instructed all his Truck Drivers who are NUPENG-PTD members for several years to remove the Union Stickers from their trucks yesterday,” the statement reads.
The union further alleged that the following day, Dantata ordered his drivers to force their way into Dangote Refinery to load petroleum products, in violation of union regulations.
“Today, Thursday, 11th September, 2025, he instructed them to forcefully drive into Dangote Refinery to load and Union officials stopped them from entering the Refinery to load because their trucks violated Union loading rules and regulations,” NUPENG said.
The statement claimed that in response, Dantata called in naval officers against NUPENG officials who were enforcing the union’s rules.
“Consequently, Alh Sayyu Dantata called navy officers on the union officials carrying out their duty,” the union alleged, condemning what it described as an “attitude towards official institutions of this great country.”
NUPENG said it viewed the development as a direct provocation and announced that its suspended strike could be reactivated.
“We are by this statement placing all our members on red alert for the resumption of the suspended nationwide industrial action and calling on the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, all Regional and Global Working people and Civil Society Organizations to rise in support and solidarity against this threat of the Capitalist world,” the statement added.
The fresh threat comes barely two days after the union suspended its strike, which was staged in protest against what it termed Dangote Refinery’s “anti-union practices.”
Boluwatife Enome
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