By Muhammad Mamman
Former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, has called on stakeholders in Nigeria’s downstream oil sector to rally behind the Dangote Refinery instead of engaging in disputes that could harm the nation’s economy.
Ndume’s appeal follows the recent standoff between Dangote Refinery and the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) as well as the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN).
NUPENG had shut down oil depots in protest, accusing the refinery of preventing its truck drivers from joining the union — a move they claimed breached the Trade Union Act. DAPPMAN, on its part, alleged that Dangote was undermining local marketers by offering cheaper fuel prices to international traders. The Department of State Services (DSS) later intervened to avert what it described as a national security threat.
Ndume condemned what he described as “a poisonous media campaign” aimed at painting Dangote in a bad light, stressing that the billionaire took risks where others failed.
“Before Dangote built his refinery, several administrations issued licences to private investors, but most only exploited crude oil allocations without building refineries,” he said. “Those who now parade themselves as fuel importers never seized the opportunity to reduce dependence on imports.”
The lawmaker argued that talk of monopoly in a deregulated industry was misplaced, noting that no operator had been given undue concessions.
He urged regulators, including the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), to step in and prevent the feud from escalating.
Ndume added: “I urge NUPENG, PENGASSAN and all stakeholders to engage in constructive dialogue with Dangote rather than fuelling division. The priority should be balancing labour rights with national development — not making ordinary Nigerians suffer from needless power struggles.”
