- Safiu Kehinde
Nigerian billionaire businessman, Aliko Dangote, has maintained that he remains undeterred by pressures and actions of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) over his import of 10,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)- powered trucks for his refinery’s operation.
NPO Reported that NUPENG had earlier this month called out Dangote refinery and MRS Fuel station owner, Sayyu Dantata, over alleged anti-union agenda and plot to monopolise the oil and gas industry.
The union alleged that Dangote’s CNG trucks imported for nationwide distribution of petroleum and diesel products free of logistics cost to Petroleum Stations and Industrial set ups would be operated by drivers forced to sign an undertaking not to belong to any union.
NUPENG would embark on strike which was later called off last week following the intervention of the Federal Government.
Barely few days after the truce, the agreement between the parties collapsed as NUPENG accused Dangote and Dantata of breaching the agreement.
This was followed with the union’s mobilisation of trucks to barricade the entrance of Dangote Refinery.
Reacting to the development during a Press Conference on Tuesday, Dangote allayed concerns raised by NUPENG as he held that the purchase of his CHNG trucks will provide more job opportunities for Nigerians.
He clarified that only 4,000 out of the 10,000 imported vehicles are fuel tankers with the rest being trucks to serve other purposes.
“We are not deterred by all these noises. We are actually targeting to be the largest fertilizer in the world and that’s a big celebration for Nigeria.
“We will support our government to make sure that we keep creating and generating jobs. We are generating jobs every day.
“That’s why sometimes, I laugh when NUPENG said there will be loses of jobs. Gentlemen of the Press, our company do not only buy 4,000 CNG trucks. We brought 10,000- four thousand tankers and six thousand dry cargo.’ He said.
While stressing that his intention is to modernise the oil industry, Dangote said the innovation comes at a loss for him as his cement plant will no longer be purchasing diesel from the refinery for transportation.
“What we are trying to do is that we are trying to modernise this thing. But you can see how innovative we are because who is going to lose? Of source Dangote Refinery will lose because we lose a big customer.
“Dangote Cement used to import 40,000 tonnes every month of diesel. But now, they will stop buying from us and be using their gas.
“Those CNG truck, when they came, they didn’t cause attention. What caused attention are the tanks. But they’ve come and we have already launched almost 4000 and before the end of the year, the remaining 2,000 will arrive.
“By end of October, all the 4,000 tankers will be here. But by end of November, we will have total of 10,250.” He said.
Dangote also questioned the motive behind the Nigerian Independent Petroleum Company’s (NIPCO) recent hike in the price of CNG.
“If you check the news 11 days ago, NIPCO just doubled the price, more than double, from 230, they took it to 500.
“Are these all part of the game to make sure that yes we don’t allow Dangote to operate?
“What we are saying is that we are trying to make lives of people much easier. How easy do we want to make it?” He asked.