The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the 2023 Rivers election, Tonye Cole, has warned that Nigerians cannot afford another fuel scarcity.
Cole, co-founder and former Group Executive Director of Sahara Group, spoke during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Friday.
“Nigerians cannot afford another scarcity of fuel today. People are already in such a difficult situation, and another crisis would only worsen their suffering.”
Cole noted that the government intervened quickly to mediate between Dangote Refinery and NUPENG because preventing disruption was critical to citizens’ welfare.
Unionisation Debate
Cole stressed that unions play a vital role in ensuring checks and balances between employers, employees, and government.
“In a democracy, unions remain a necessary balance,” he said. “They give workers a strong lobbying voice, while the government must represent the interests of the people.”
Asked whether Dangote Refinery was handling the issue properly, Cole responded, “If they signed an agreement, integrity demands that they honour it, or call all parties to renegotiate.”
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On monopoly fears, he warned against allowing a single company to dominate Nigeria’s fuel market.
“Competition makes businesses stronger and benefits citizens most. Monopoly is extremely dangerous and unacceptable,” he said.
He added that while market disruption is natural in business, using government forces to ban competitors would harm citizens and the economy.
Strike Threat Resurfaces
Barely 48 hours after suspending its nationwide strike, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) accused Dangote Refinery of reneging on its commitments.
In a statement signed by President Williams Akporeha and General Secretary Afolabi Olawale, the union warned it could resume industrial action.
“We are placing our members on red alert for the resumption of the suspended strike,” the statement read. “We call on labour groups and civil society to stand in solidarity.”
NUPENG said Dangote Refinery ordered truck drivers to remove union stickers from their vehicles despite signing an agreement at the DSS office.
The union urged the Federal Government to stop security agencies from being used “with impunity” against workers’ rights, warning that agreements must be respected.
Agreement and MoU
NUPENG had suspended its strike on Tuesday after an agreement with Dangote Refinery to recognise employees’ right to unionise.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed at the DSS meeting stated that unionisation must commence immediately and be completed within two weeks.
It also ensured that no worker would be punished for joining a union and that the employer would not create a parallel union.
Signatories included Dangote Group, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Union Dispute
The strike initially began when NUPENG alleged that Dangote Refinery was hiring new drivers on the condition that they not join the union.
Dangote’s management dismissed the allegation as “cheap blackmail”, insisting operations continued normally and stressing there was no fuel shortage during the strike.
The refinery, which has a 650,000 barrels-per-day capacity, is Africa’s largest and aims to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported petrol.
While it has lowered petrol prices, its dominance has sparked monopoly concerns and friction with over 20,000 existing tanker operators.
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