The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has called on the Federal Government to invoke its powers under Section 32(u) and (aa) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) to promote competition and private sector participation in the midstream and downstream petroleum operations.

The oil and gas workers argued that the provision empowers the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Authority (NMDPA) with the responsibility to identify, investigate, and prevent abuse of dominant positions and restrictive business practices concerning midstream and downstream petroleum operations.

A statement by NUPENG President, Williams Akporeha, and Secretary General, Olawale Afolabi, on Friday, said the union was seriously concerned and disturbed with the business practices of oil and gas moguls, Sayyu Dantata of MRS Energy and Aliko Dangote, who have disallowed workers’ unions to exist in their business outfits.

According to them, amassing wealth based on enslavement, depriving workers of a union and a voice amounts to creating filthy wealth. It noted that Nigeria is a member of the international community and a member state in the International Labour Organisation, hence it should not allow workers to be enslaved.

“They should be made to be lawful business persons and not lawless individuals and business outfits. Nigeria is a country of laws, not a lawless society. By Section 9(6) of the Labour Act, workers cannot be penalised for their membership or non-membership of trade unions,” they said.

To this end, the oil workers called on the Federal Government to inform the bigwigs to allow their truck drivers to be unionised, threatening to embark on an industrial action.

The statement added: “If they persist in their anti-union tyrannical attitudes, NUPENG is set and ready to mobilise its forces to fight within the framework of the law.

“Meanwhile, since Alh. Aliko Dangote and his cousin have resolved to replace all petroleum tanker drivers in Nigeria and there is no one or institution that can stop him, the members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch of NUPENG will from Monday, September 8, 2025, start looking for alternative employment/skills and sources of livelihood.

“We call on all other industrial unions and the central labour organisations, the NLC, TUC, and global Union Federations to get ready to stand in solidarity with peaceful mass actions and industrial actions in defending labour rights.”