News
Dangote Refinery: CSOs kick against DAPPMAN, Labour Unions’ Strike Threat
Cyril Ogar
The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria (COCSON), Nigerian Interfaith Forum (NIF), National Coalition for Market Men, Women and Artisans (NACOMWA), and Petroleum Consumers Protection Alliance (PCPA) have expressed bitterness with the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), as well as strike threats by PENGASSAN, TUC, and NUPENG, saying it represent nothing short of a direct assault on the Nigerian people.
The coalition, in a press statement during their rally to the Presidential Villa, National Assembly and NMDPRA in Abuja on Tuesday, signed by the President, Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria (COCSON), Comrade Ibrahim Suleiman; National Chairman, Nigerian Interfaith Forum (NIF), Rev. Dr. Mathew Ayodele; National President, National Coalition for Market Men, Women & Artisans (NACOMWA), Comrade Boma Agbede, and Chairman, Petroleum Consumers Protection Alliance (PCPA), Barr. Yusuf Danladi, called on President Bola Tinubu to hold leaders of these unions responsible if there is a breakdown of law and order in this country and they should be immediately arrested for disobedience to court order.
The coalition said: “For decades, Nigerians have been held hostage by a cartel that thrives on import dependency, round-tripping, subsidy scams, and artificial scarcity. DAPPMAN, an organisation that should be a partner in progress, has chosen instead to undermine the Dangote Refinery and other indigenous refining initiatives because they fear competition, transparency, and efficiency.
“DAPPMAN’s opposition to Dangote Refinery’s emergence as a major force in local refining is not about policy, not about patriotism—it is about preserving their stranglehold over Nigerians. Their agenda is to keep fuel importation alive, so they can continue profiteering at the expense of ordinary citizens who are already battered by poverty, unemployment, and inflation.
“We are equally disturbed by reports that PENGASSAN, NUPENG, and the TUC are planning to embark on an industrial strike to back DAPPMAN’s destructive agenda. At a time when Nigerians are groaning under the weight of economic hardship—when families are choosing between food and school fees, when transportation costs already swallow meagre salaries—these labour unions want to compound the suffering by shutting down oil and gas operations.
“Let us be clear: this is not a strike for workers. It is a strike for cartels. This is not a fight for fairness. It is a fight against Nigeria’s independence in refining. History will not forgive any union that aligns with saboteurs against the very people they claim to represent.”
The coalition said they welcome with relief the ruling of the Federal High Court which barred PENGASSAN from stopping gas supply to Dangote Refinery, saying the judgment validates their position that the strike threats were not in the interest of workers or Nigerians, but a calculated move to sabotage Nigeria’s refining revolution.
They said the judiciary has spoken clearly that no union or cartel has the right to hold 200 million Nigerians hostage in pursuit of selfish interests, and called on security agencies to enforce this ruling decisively and ensure that no group undermines the court’s order.
They further stated that, “ASUU is the union of university lecturers in Nigeria, but it does not go after Covenant, Baze, Babcock, JABU, or Crescent universities to force their lecturers into membership. NURTW is the union of road transport workers, yet it does not force the drivers of God is Good, GUO, Ekeson, or Chisco into its ranks.
“NUT is the union of teachers in primary and secondary schools, yet it does not march into Chrisland, Grange, British International School, or Charterhouse to compel teachers to join.
“So why should Dangote Refinery, a private enterprise built with private sweat and risk, solving our collective refining crisis—be forced into the grip of PENGASSAN or any union that can shut it down at will?
“If any worker at Dangote Refinery is unhappy and feels the need for union protection, let them seek employment elsewhere or test their grievances in court. Nigerians cannot allow a situation where, after decades of suffering from fuel imports, one man builds a world-class refinery, and a union claims the power to cripple it at will.”
News
Tinubu Reaffirms Commitment To A Digitally-Driven Workforce
Joel Ajayi
In a strong affirmation of his administration’s vision for a technology-enabled public service, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has reiterated the Federal Government’s unwavering commitment to building a world-class, digitally-driven, and citizen-centred workforce capable of driving inclusive and sustainable national development.
The President, represented by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, OON, mni, at the opening ceremony of the 57th International Conference and Exhibition of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM) held in Abuja, noted that the Conference provides a vital platform for thought leaders, policymakers, and human resource professionals to examine and discuss the evolving dynamics of work under the theme, “Reimagining the New World of Work.”
President Tinubu commended the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria for its consistency and nearly six decades of professional excellence, ethical leadership, and dedication to human capital development in Nigeria. He acknowledged the Institute’s invaluable role in promoting professionalism and strengthening workforce governance across both public and private sectors.
Highlighting the Administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the President emphasized that “Nigeria’s greatest asset is not its oil or minerals, but its people.” He underscored key Federal Government initiatives such as the 3 Million Technical Talent Programme (3MTT) and the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), designed to position Nigeria as a global hub for skilled digital professionals.
The President also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to ongoing public service transformation through the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2025 (FCSSIP25), which aims to achieve a fully digital and paperless civil service by 31st December, 2025.
He explained that the adoption of the Enterprise Content Management (ECM) solution is a major milestone in enhancing efficiency, transparency, and accountability in public service operations.
In his welcome address, the President and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM), Mallam Ahmed Ladan Gobir FCIPM, fnli, emphasized that the future of work will not necessarily reward the strongest or the smartest, but those courageous enough to remain human in a digital world. He described the conference as “not just another HR event, but a transformative movement that will echo through boardrooms, classrooms, and corridors of influence for years to come.”
Mallam Gobir reaffirmed the Institute’s commitment to redefining workplace leadership and advancing professional excellence. He urged human resource professionals to transcend traditional management practices and cultivate work environments “where humans and technology collaborate, not compete; where innovation meets integrity, and productivity aligns with purpose.”
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