The Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) have distanced themselves from the planned nationwide strike declared by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), describing it as a reckless action that would plunge the economy into deeper hardship.
PTD leaders urged tanker drivers across the country’s four zones to ignore the strike call scheduled to begin Monday, September 8, 2025, warning that such an “insensitive move” would cripple economic activities, impoverish citizens, and worsen the suffering of the masses.
Beyond rejecting the strike, the tanker drivers took a swipe at NUPENG, ridiculing the union’s handling of its ongoing leadership crisis and accusing it of lacking the coordination and wisdom to resolve its cold war with the management of Dangote Refinery.
They further demanded the immediate arrest of NUPENG leaders by the Inspector General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), insisting that law enforcement must act to safeguard peace and guarantee that Nigerians can go about their legitimate businesses without fear or harassment.
PTD also chided the parent body of unduly meddling in the progress and success of the country’s economic powerhouse, just as it described the leaders as economic saboteurs who have no interest of the country at heart but to continue in the old order of manipulating the system through illegal levies at depots, tank farms, and refineries that are never accounted for under the current leadership.
The tanker drivers also expressed worry over NUPENG’s inability to maintain a cohesive leadership structure, emphasizing that while the Union struggles with factional disputes, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and his business partner, Alhaji Sayyu Idris Dantata of MRS remained focused on revitalising the country’s petroleum industry downstream sector and delivering on President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
In their well detailed observations, PTD also mocked the double standards posture of NUPENG leaders, claiming that the Union was known for waging a vicious war against the Association of Distributors and Transporters of Petroleum Products (ADITOP) and preventing them to run side by side with them (NUPENG) in the petroleum industry ecosystem, saying the union lacks the moral rectitude to accuse Dangote and Dantata of championing monopoly in the petroleum industry.
PTD equally maintained that union membership anywhere in the world is voluntary and that the crisis arising from the plan by the Dangote refinery to import 4,000 compressed natural gas-powered trucks for the direct distribution of fuel to retailers is in good shape and in best interest of the masses.
The tanker drivers however advised the Federal government, the NSA, National Assembly, DSS, Inspector General of Police, NSCDC, and other industry stakeholders not to treat the matter with kid gloves so that NUPENG will not undermine the relative peace and progress the Oil and Gas sector is currently enjoying.
A statement by PTD stakeholders jointly signed by comrades (Alhaji) Tajudeen Abubakar (Kaduna Zone), Chief (Mrs.) Blessing Dafinone (Warri Zone), Comrade Joseph Dagogo-Jack (JP) (Port Harcourt Zone) and Comrade Kolade Fadahunsi-Ojelabi (Lagos Zone), reads in parts:
“This is a clarion call to all Petroleum Tanker Drivers across Nigeria to please ignore the strike notice issued by NUPENG leadership. The purported notice suggested that the industrial action will take effect on Monday, September 8, 2025, this is obviously insensitive, callous, and unacceptable. How could NUPENG condescend so low like this that they didn’t even dim it necessary to explore any option of negotiation or stakeholders dialogue before arriving at this? This is not only laughable but wicked. A Union is expected to be socially responsible and not pursue selfish gains capable of ruining the socio-economic accomplishments of the country.
“It is no news that the leadership of NUPENG lacks operational and administrative understanding of how the industry works, but we would be glad to educate them that union membership anywhere in the world is voluntary and that the crisis arising from the plan by the Dangote refinery to import 4,000 compressed natural gas-powered trucks for the direct distribution of fuel to retailers is in good shape and in best interest of the masses. Negotiations and symbiotic relationship cannot be reached through violence, threats or arrogance, Nigeria is governed under constitutional democracy, these union leaders should note that very carefully.
“This is the same NUPENG that has created protracted internal crisis within its rank that is calling Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Alhaji Sayyu Idris Dantata names, infact these businessmen should sue them for libel and defamation. This also show lack of decorum, and rascally behaviour of today’s leaders in NUPENG, they don’t think or make legal consultations before acting on highlighted highly sensitive matters and situations.
“It is also illogical and unreasonable for NUPENG to accuse Dangote and Dantata of promoting monopoly in the industry while they, in their double standards have been at loggerheads with the Association of Distributors and Transporters of Petroleum Products (ADITOP) and preventing them from running their affairs side by side with them in the petroleum industry ecosystem. This is crass irresponsibility from a union that lacks integrity.
“We therefore use this rare opportunity to humbly advise the Federal government, NSA, National Assembly, DSS, Inspector General of Police, NSCDC, and other industry stakeholders to call for the immediate arrest of leaders of NUPENG especially the President and the General in order to prevent them from setting the country on fire at a time Nigeria is experiencing relative peace in the oil and gas sector.
“Enough of NUPENG highhandedness, no union is bigger than the extant laws and constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. NUPENG has failed its members and should never be allowed to destroy Nigeria and its economic activities,” the statement concluded.
