The dispute between the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) deepened on Friday, as Dangote urged the union to reveal those responsible for the alleged $18bn wasted on government-owned refineries without any tangible results.

In a statement, the refinery questioned why the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna plants have remained inactive despite huge sums reportedly spent on their rehabilitation and turnaround maintenance.

Alhaji Aliko Dangote noted that successive administrations had expended $18bn on the refineries, yet they remain non-functional.

Addressing claims that the refinery prevented its tanker drivers from joining unions, Dangote reminded NUPENG of its opposition during the 2007 privatisation of the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries, which included the Dangote consortium. The company challenged the union to help Nigerians uncover the truth behind the massive expenditure.

“We must begin to ask what has happened to all four government-owned refineries—Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna. To date, about $18bn has been wasted on rehabilitation without any result. Who are those responsible for spending such colossal amounts with nothing to show? Can NUPENG assist Nigerians in finding answers?” the statement read.

Reacting to NUPENG’s allegation that the refinery was attempting to monopolise fuel distribution with its direct delivery scheme, the Dangote Group maintained that it operates under a deregulated framework regulated by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority. It insisted that accusations of monopolistic practices were “legally and factually incorrect.”

FG Seeks Truce

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labour convened a meeting on Friday in Abuja to address the renewed conflict between both parties. Representatives from Dangote, led by Alhaji Sayyu Dantata of MRS Oil, and NUPENG executives attended the session, which was also held at the Department of State Services office.

Speaking after the meeting, NUPENG President Williams Akporeha said both sides were instructed to uphold the memorandum of understanding earlier signed on Tuesday.

Friday’s meeting followed the breakdown of the earlier peace deal reached earlier in the week.

NUPENG had on Monday shut down fuel depots, protesting that the refinery prevented drivers of its 4,000 compressed natural gas-powered trucks from unionising. The protest was suspended on Tuesday after an agreement brokered by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

However, on Thursday, the union accused the refinery of violating the terms of the agreement by allegedly ordering drivers to replace NUPENG stickers on their trucks with those of a newly formed Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association, believed to have been set up by the management.

The development led to NUPENG members blocking the refinery’s main gate with their trucks, halting fuel loading operations.

NUPENG further accused Dangote of instigating division within its Petroleum Tanker Drivers unit, undermining workers’ rights to unionise, and spreading what it described as “false narratives” against the union.

In a joint statement signed by Akporeha and General Secretary Afolabi Olawale, the union described Dangote’s position as “capitalist falsehood intended to mislead Nigerians and suppress NUPENG.”

The union also cautioned Nigerians against accepting what it called a “Greek gift” of free nationwide fuel delivery, warning that the scheme was designed to eliminate competition and compel drivers into the company-backed association.

NUPENG insisted that Nigerians and the international community must resist any attempt to deny workers their rights to freedom of association and warned that its leaders must not be victimised.

In response, Dangote Group’s spokesman, Anthony Chiejina, dismissed the allegations as baseless, stating that the company fully supports constitutionally guaranteed labour rights and that employees remain free to join any recognised trade union.