The controversy between the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers took a new turn on Friday when the Dangote refinery asked the union to expose those behind the reported $18bn spent on government-owned refineries without results.

In a statement, Dangote questioned why the refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna remained comatose despite the colossal expenditure on turnaround maintenance and rehabilitation over the years.

From Port Harcourt to Warri and Kaduna, the three refineries owned by the Federal Government remain idle despite repeated promises of turnaround maintenance.

Alhaji Aliko Dangote said recently that $18bn was expended on the refineries over the years by successive administrations, yet the plants have refused to function.

Amid allegations that Dangote did not allow its petroleum tanker drivers to unionize, Dangote recalled the role played by NUPENG during the 2007 privatization of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries.

The firm challenged the union to assist Nigerians in unravelling the mystery behind the huge expenditure.

Dangote reminded the union that in 2007, when the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries were privatized to a consortium that included the company, NUPENG was among the fiercest opponents, calling for the reversal of the sale.

Dangote said Nigerians must ask questions about what happened to the government refineries.

“We must begin to ask what has happened to all four FGN-owned refineries—Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna.

“When Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries were privatized to a consortium Dangote was a member of in 2007, the same NUPENG were amongst the town criers against the privatization.

“To date, about $18bn has been wasted to rehabilitate the refineries without any success. Who are the people who spent all these humongous amounts without any result? Can NUPENG assist Nigerians to unravel this?” the company queried.

Reacting to claims by NUPENG that it was planning to monopolize the petroleum sector with its direct fuel distribution scheme, the Dangote Group said its refinery operates within a deregulated market framework, under the oversight of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.

“Assertions of monopolistic intent are both legally and factually incorrect,” it stated.

FG calls for peace

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labour summoned another meeting on Friday to settle the renewed crisis between the two groups.

NUPENG told Saturday PUNCH that the meeting was held at the office of the Department of State Services in Abuja.

Alhaji Sayyu Dantata of MRS Oil led the Dangote Group to the meeting, while Akporeha led the NUPENG team.

In an interview with our correspondent after the meeting, Akporeha said both parties were told to follow the memorandum of understanding signed on Tuesday.

“The meeting has ended. The status of the communiqué must be maintained by all parties,” he said.

Friday’s meeting followed the collapse of Tuesday’s memorandum of understanding to establish peace between Dangote and NUPENG.

Recall that NUPENG had on Monday shut down fuel depots, protesting that the Dangote refinery did not allow the newly recruited drivers for its 4,000 compressed natural gas-powered trucks to join the union.

The shutdown of the depots lasted till Tuesday, when it was suspended following an agreement reached by both parties at a meeting organized by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

However, on Thursday, NUPENG said Dangote was not ready to abide by the terms of the agreement.

The union alleged that despite signing a Memorandum of Understanding on September 9, the Dangote refinery on September 11, 2025, instructed drivers to remove NUPENG stickers from their trucks and replace them with those of the newly formed Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association, allegedly created by the management.

The union blocked the main entrance to the refinery with their trucks, halting the loading of fuel.

NUPENG accused the Dangote refinery of sponsoring division within its Petroleum Tanker Drivers branch, resisting workers’ rights to unionization, and deploying what it described as “falsehoods” to undermine the union.

In a statement signed by its National Executive President, Williams Akporeha, and the General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, on Friday, the union dismissed the press release by the Dangote Group on Thursday as “an epitome of unconscionable capitalist falsehood aimed at hoodwinking Nigerians and crushing NUPENG.”

The union further warned Nigerians against what it described as the “Greek gift” of free nationwide petroleum delivery by Dangote Refinery, alleging that the move was designed to stifle competition and force drivers into the company-controlled association.

NUPENG also called on Nigerians and the international community to resist any attempt to deny refinery workers and drivers their right to freedom of association and unionization, warning that its leaders must not be harmed in the course of the struggle.

But in a statement made available to our correspondent by the spokesman of the Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina, the company stated that the allegations that it was undermining union activities and threatening workers’ welfare through its new deployment of CNG-powered trucks were not true.

The Dangote refinery reiterated its full support for constitutionally protected labour rights, stating that employees are free to affiliate with any recognized trade union. (Saturday PUNCH)