PENGASSAN Declares Service Withdrawal Over Dangote Refinery Sack, Operations to Halt Nationwide from Sunday

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The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has announced a nationwide withdrawal of services in protest against the mass sacking of Nigerian workers at the Dangote Refinery.

In a directive issued to its members, the union ordered that crude oil supply, gas deliveries, and vessel loading operations to the $20 billion refinery be halted from 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, with a full nationwide withdrawal of services commencing from 12:01 a.m. on Monday.

The move comes after PENGASSAN accused the Dangote Refinery of terminating the appointments of over 800 Nigerian workers, most of whom are union members, while retaining or recruiting expatriates, particularly Indian nationals.

“This is unacceptable. We cannot allow Nigerian workers to be sacrificed while foreigners take over our jobs,” PENGASSAN stated, warning that the action will continue until the refinery reverses the dismissals.

Dangote Industries, however, has rejected the claims of mass sackings, insisting that the staff restructuring only affected “a small number” of employees. The company further alleged that the dismissals were linked to acts of sabotage within the refinery, not union membership.

The looming standoff has triggered concerns about Nigeria’s energy stability, as the Dangote Refinery is seen as pivotal to reducing fuel imports and stabilising the petroleum market. Stakeholders warn that an extended disruption could have far-reaching implications for fuel supply and prices across the country.

As negotiations stall, all eyes are on the federal government to intervene and prevent the dispute from escalating into a full-blown national crisis.