The Economic Rights Activists (ERA) has condemned the planned strike by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
Last week, NUPENG said its workers will down tools and start sourcing for alternative employment from September 8.
The union premised its decision on claims that the Dangote refinery is preventing its compressed natural gas (CNG) tanker drivers from joining labour unions.
However, the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association (DTCDA) has said it will not join the planned strike, describing the move as “a disservice to Nigerians”.
‘Planned Strike Unpatriotic’
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday in Abuja, Josiah Inuwa, ERA’s executive director, said the strike will disrupt fuel distribution and cripple economic life.
Inuwa said the planned industrial action is “reckless and unpatriotic”, cautioning that it could deepen the country’s hardships.
“The okada rider in Enugu, pepper seller in Osun, teacher in Kaduna, and the mechanic in Port Harcourt will bear the brunt,” he said.
“Transport fares will skyrocket, food prices will soar, hospitals will lose power, and small businesses will collapse. This is not a fight for justice — it is a direct attack on the Nigerian people.”
Inuwa cited previous strikes in the sector, noting that it cost the economy billions of naira daily and heightened recessionary trends.
He accused the union’s leaders of hypocrisy, saying they do not have Nigerians’ interests at heart.
“Many of these leaders drive in convoys while the masses trek. They negotiate secret deals behind closed doors while claiming to fight for justice in public squares,” he said.
Inuwa asked the national assembly to summon NUPENG and all parties involved in the planned strike.
