Engage Dangote in dialogue, not hostility – Ndume tells Oil unions, marketers

…Warns against false monopoly claims in deregulated sector

…Calls for balance between labour rights and national interest

Former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, has warned labour unions and petroleum marketers to stop what he described as a deliberate campaign of hostility against the Dangote Refinery, urging them instead to embrace dialogue in the interest of national development.

The intervention follows a face-off between the refinery’s management and the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), which recently embarked on industrial action over claims that Dangote refused to allow truck drivers to join the union in line with the Trade Union Act.

At the same time, the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) accused the refinery of stifling competition by allegedly selling petroleum products to international traders at cheaper rates than to Nigerian marketers.

Although the Department of State Services stepped in to mediate, the standoff continues to generate tension across the downstream oil sector.

Speaking in a statement on Wednesday, Senator Ndume condemned what he termed a “poisonous narrative” being pushed to paint Dangote Refinery in bad light.

He said: “I urge NUPENG, PENGASSAN, and all concerned stakeholders to engage in constructive dialogue with Dangote rather than inciting division and undue sensationalism in the media. Our common goal should be to balance labour rights with the imperatives of national development and not put ordinary citizens at the receiving end of a needless power tussle.”

The senator recalled that successive administrations granted licenses to several private operators to establish refineries, but many licensees failed to utilise the opportunity.

“Before Dangote took the risk to build his refinery, previous administrations had granted licenses to many Nigerians. What did they do with it? Some of them only cashed in on crude oil allocations. Licenses were issued as far back as 2002 and again in 2007, yet most of the beneficiaries did nothing. Even under the Buhari administration, modular refinery licenses were granted, but very few operators scratched the surface,” Ndume said.

He insisted that it was unfair for those who failed to build refineries to now accuse Dangote of attempting to monopolise the industry.

Ndume, who represents Borno South, argued that there was no basis to accuse Dangote Refinery of monopoly since the Federal Government had already deregulated the oil sector through the Petroleum Industry Act.

“It is wrong to talk about monopoly in a deregulated industry. There are no deliberate bottlenecks against anyone, and no player has been accorded a special concession to the detriment of others,” he added.

He urged regulators, including the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, to step in swiftly and prevent disputes from disrupting petroleum product distribution nationwide.