Barely 48 hours after suspending its nationwide strike, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has accused Sayyu Aliu Dantata of breaching an agreement reached with government officials on workers’ right to unionise.

In a statement jointly signed by its President, Williams Akhoreha, and General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, on Thursday, the union alleged that Mr Dantata ordered truck drivers who are union members to remove NUPENG stickers from their vehicles.

The union further claimed that on Thursday, he instructed them to forcefully enter the Dangote Refinery despite violating union loading rules.

According to NUPENG, Mr Dantata allegedly flew over the site in a helicopter and later called in the Navy “ostensibly to crush union officials.”

The union described these actions as a direct affront to Nigeria’s labour laws and the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed earlier in the week.

On Tuesday, NUPENG suspended its strike following a resolution reached with the management of Dangote Refinery after a meeting convened by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

The MoU recognised workers’ right to unionise and directed that the process should commence immediately and be concluded within two weeks.

“We call on the federal government not to allow the Navy and other security agencies to be used with impunity against the laws and people of this country,” the union stated.

NUPENG said it has placed its members on red alert for the possible resumption of its suspended industrial action and called on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and civil society groups to mobilise in solidarity.

The union also reiterated its accusation that Mr Dantata and Aliko Dangote are attempting to monopolise downstream oil distribution while suppressing workers’ rights, citing the deployment of newly imported Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks by the Dangote Refinery.