JUST IN: Fuel loading halted as fresh rift erupts between Dangote, NUPENG

Barely 48 hours after the Department of State Services (DSS) successfully mediated peace between the Dangote Group and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), a fresh dispute has broken out.

Daily Trust reports that on Thursday, NUPENG leadership ordered the suspension of fuel loading activities at the Dangote Refinery’s loading bay.

The renewed crisis stems from a directive issued to MRS tanker drivers, instructing them to remove all NUPENG stickers pasted on their trucks a move that has sparked fresh tensions between the parties.

Recall that the DSS had on Tuesday brokered peace between the duo after the first conciliatory that was held on Monday at Labour Ministry’s ended in a stalemate.

READ ALSO: NUPENG vs Dangote  : Nationwide strike suspended as DSS brokers truce

But after a closed-door meeting that was held at the headquarters of the secret police in Abuja, the leadership of NUPENG directed its members to suspend the nationwide industrial action.

Three Ministers including that of Finance, Wale Edun; Labour and Employment, Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, and Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, were in attendance.

But Alhaji Sayyu Dantata, Director in charge of Logistics at Dangote Group and Managing Director of MRS, led a delegation to the meeting which began at about 1:35pm and ended around 7:15pm, on Tuesday.

Sources who were familiar with what transpired on Wednesday and Thursday, confided in our correspondent that the removal of sticker order angered the union leaders and they summoned an emergency meeting over the matter.

“On Wednesday morning, based on the agreement reached on Tuesday at the DSS headquarters, our members working with Dangote Refinery were called, we didn’t force anybody and we handed over stickers to them.”

“To our surprise, after few hours, we heard that the company directed all of them to remove the stickers. Meanwhile, not all of them even collected the stickers abinitio. We thought it was a rumour.

“When we came here this morning (Thursday), we noticed that all the pasted stickers had been removed. This negates the agreement we had during the Tuesday’s meeting,” one of the union leaders told Daily Trust.

Confirming the development, NUPENG President, Williams Akporeha, said, “It’s not yet uhuru” for both the union and the Company.

Akporeha said, “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.

“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.

“Alh Sayyu Aliu Dantata flew over them several times with his helicopter and then called the Navy of the Federal Republic to come over ostensibly to crush the Union officials.

“Our members are waiting for him and his agents to run them over. We call on everyone to let Alh Sayyu Aliu Dantata know that he is not bigger than the Federal Republic of Nigeria and we strongly condemn his arrogant attitude towards official institutions of this great country and blatant lack of respect for the laws of this country.

“We call on the Federal Government not to allow the Navy and other security agents being paid by the resources of this country to be used with impunity against the laws and people of this country.

“Security agents should not allow an individual to ride roughshod with impunity even while not observing terms of agreement reached in meetings in which security agents facilitated along with Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

NUPENG President, however, placed all its members on red alert for the resumption of the suspended nationwide industrial action, while 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.

He added, “His wealth cannot make him be above the law. We assure the people and the government of Federal Republic of Nigeria that NUPENG will continue to remain a patriotic, responsible and responsive organization to this great country.”

The management of Dangote Group was yet to comment on the new development as at when filing this report.

When contacted, an official who did not want to be quoted said, “Be on standby. We may release a statement on this development anytime soon.”

(DailyTrust)