The citizens-led group, Mass Action Against Economic Saboteurs, MAAES, has warned the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, against plunging the country into crisis with threats of a nationwide strike over Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s plan to deploy 4,000 compressed natural gas, CNG-powered trucks for fuel distribution.
In a statement issued on Saturday, George Priye West, president of the coalition, said NUPENG cannot hold Nigeria hostage under the guise of defending workers’ rights, stressing that union membership is a matter of personal choice, not compulsion.
“The Supreme Court has already affirmed that the question of union membership is a fundamental right of the individuals. No worker can be forced to join a union against their will.
“Any industrial action called on such flimsy grounds is not about labour rights but a reckless attempt to destabilise Nigeria and inflict suffering on millions of ordinary citizens,” West said.
NUPENG had threatened to call on its Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch to stop fuel loading nationwide from 8 September, alleging Dangote of engaging in anti-labour practices by recruiting drivers who are allegedly compelled to renounce union membership.
The group, with branches across the country, dismissed the accusations as baseless and dangerous, warning that they are part of a campaign to frustrate Nigeria’s most ambitious private-sector project.
“Dangote Refinery is not enslaving anyone; it is creating thousands of decent jobs, strengthening local capacity, and providing Nigerians with a long-awaited solution to fuel import dependence. The refinery is a $20 billion investment built on Nigerian soil to serve Nigerian needs. For anyone to describe it as a threat is nothing short of mischief,” he said.
The group described NUPENG’s threat as particularly insensitive at a time when Nigerians are grappling with economic pressures and uncertainty in the oil and gas sector.
“It is shameful that the same unions that watched over the collapse of Nigeria’s government-owned refineries are now plotting against the private refinery that has given the nation renewed hope. Nigerians will not allow this sabotage. We will rise to defend Dangote Refinery at all times, because it represents progress, jobs, and self-sufficiency,” West declared.
He called on the Federal Government and security agencies to take firm measures to prevent any industrial action that could disrupt petroleum product supply nationwide, insisting that such action should be treated as an attack on the people.
“Any attempt by NUPENG or any group to declare a strike on this hollow basis must be treated as economic sabotage and even as an act of terrorism against the people,” West announced.
“The government must not fold its arms while a few vested interests attempt to blackmail the nation into chaos. Nigerians deserve stability, not manufactured scarcity.”
The group further urged Nigerians to ignore threats of scarcity and continue their daily activities without fear.
“We call on the public to remain calm and resolute. This is not a struggle for ordinary workers but a fight by entrenched interests who cannot stomach competition. Nigerians should go about their businesses and not allow themselves to be misled by this campaign of destabilisation,” the statement read.
West emphasised the group is not opposed to unionism but stressed that workers must retain the freedom to choose their associations.
“The right to join a union is sacred, but so too is the right not to join one. The constitution protects both rights equally. What NUPENG seeks to do is force people into its fold to preserve its relevance. That is not democracy. That is tyranny, and it will not stand,” the group added.
They insisted that the refinery represents Nigeria’s best chance at breaking free from decades of fuel import dependence.
“This refinery is not the enemy. It is a lifeline for Nigeria. Those who want to see it fail are not fighting for workers or citizens; they are fighting for their pockets. Nigerians must see through this and defend the refinery as a national asset,” West added.
