Union Face Off: DSS Summons Dangote, NUPENG As Tension Brews

The Department of State Services (DSS) has stepped in to douse tension between the management of Dangote Refinery and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) over a heated row on workers’ freedom of association.

The security agency has summoned both parties to a meeting scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on Friday in Abuja. Stakeholders from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and relevant government ministries are also expected to attend.

The intervention comes just days after Dangote Refinery and NUPENG signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the DSS headquarters on September 9. The pact, witnessed by labour leaders and government officials, affirmed workers’ right to join any union of their choice without interference.

However, the fragile truce quickly unravelled. Within 24 hours, NUPENG accused the refinery of reneging on the agreement, alleging deliberate moves to frustrate workers willing to join the union. Dangote Group denied the claim, insisting it had acted in line with Nigerian law and International Labour Organisation conventions, which make union membership voluntary.

On Friday, NUPENG President, Prince Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, doubled down on the union’s position. In a joint statement, they accused the company of misrepresenting facts in its September 11 press release.

“The press statement by Dangote Petroleum Refinery further confirms the company’s intent to undermine NUPENG and stifle competition, with the ultimate goal of manipulating fuel prices,” the statement read in part.

The union leaders dismissed suggestions of divisions within its Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) arm, describing them as “malicious fabrications.” They argued that if such factions truly existed, Dangote should have been able to stop the nationwide tanker drivers’ strike earlier directed by NUPENG, which they described as “peaceful, effective, and 100 per cent successful.”