Dangote refinery accuses PENGASSAN of weaponising hardship with strike
The Dangote refinery has criticised the nationwide strike declared by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), accusing the union of weaponising hardship against Nigerians.
On Saturday, PENGASSAN directed its members to embark on an immediate nationwide strike following the dismissal of “over 800 workers” by the refinery.
In a statement on Sunday, Dangote refinery said the directive was not aimed at protecting Nigerian workers but at advancing the interests of a “cabal of oligarchs.”
“The directive to withdraw services and cut off essential fuel supplies is not about protecting Nigerian workers, but about weaponising hardship against over 230 million Nigerians,” the company said.
The refinery added that the union’s action would disrupt essential services including hospitals, schools, emergency response, transport, and communications, warning of “unbearable hardship” across the country.
It called on the federal government and security agencies to intervene, insisting that PENGASSAN should not be allowed to “bully Nigerians into chaos and economic sabotage.”
The company further accused the union of years of sabotage in the oil and gas sector, citing its role in the collapse of the 2007 sale of Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries to Blue Star Consortium, a deal Dangote described as the “right decision” at the time.
Dangote refinery also criticised PENGASSAN’s endorsement of the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery, calling it a “ruse,” and accused the union of opposing reforms to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) that could have unlocked private-sector funding.
The statement went further to allege that the association mismanages billions of naira in annual check-off dues to sustain the “lavish lifestyles” of its leaders, while failing to account to its members.
Defending its own record, the refinery highlighted recent contributions including road construction, worker training, job creation, and what it described as an industry-leading compensation structure.
On Friday, PENGASSAN said over 800 workers had been laid off, but Dangote refinery countered that “only a small number were affected” as part of a reorganisation exercise.
The union has since demanded that the refinery recall all Nigerian workers whose jobs were terminated as they plan to meet with the Federal Government to resolve the dispute.
