Leave Dangote alone, fix your refineries, Onuesoke tells NUPENG

By Ephraim Oseji

Chairman/CEO of DAS Energy Services, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, has called on the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) to desist from targeting Dangote Refinery and instead focus its energy on advocating for the rehabilitation of Nigeria’s long-dormant government-owned refineries.

This follows a recent standoff between NUPENG and the management of Dangote Refinery, stemming from allegations that the refinery was preventing petroleum tanker drivers from joining the union, contrary to provisions in the Trade Union Act. NUPENG responded with industrial action, shutting down fuel depots across the country.

Speaking at the sidelines of an Oil and Gas Workshop held recently in Abuja, Onuesoke condemned the union’s actions, warning that such confrontations could deter both local and foreign investors.

“Instead of fighting Dangote, NUPENG should channel its energy into questioning why the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries remain non-functional despite billions of dollars spent on turnaround maintenance. What role has NUPENG played in holding those responsible accountable?”, he queried.

Onuesoke challenged the union to disclose how over $18 billion was reportedly spent on the refineries without any tangible results, adding that continued attacks on private investments like the Dangote Refinery serve only to undermine national economic progress.

He also referenced NUPENG’s historical opposition to the 2007 attempt to privatise the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries, where Dangote was part of the acquiring consortium. That resistance, he said, led to the reversal of what could have been a significant step toward reviving the nation’s refining capacity.

“The union must be called to order. Investors are closely watching, and this kind of behaviour paints Nigeria in a bad light,” Onuesoke said.

“Let me remind NUPENG: without private investors like Dangote, there would be no platform for employment, and thus no union to begin with.”

He described NUPENG’s approach as “economic desperation” and warned that its actions could be a major setback to President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to attract investment into Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

“This kind of retrogressive agitation will only discourage both foreign and local investors, despite the government’s recent executive orders to stimulate growth and support indigenous refining,” he said.

While acknowledging the right of workers to unionize, Onuesoke stressed that such decisions must be voluntary and handled with maturity and national interest in mind.

“Trade unions have a responsibility to act with patriotism, not self-interest. Their current behavior exposes an anti-business attitude that does more harm than good,” he stated.

Concluding, he urged Nigerians to rally behind the Dangote Refinery project.

“This is the largest single-train refinery in the world—a

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