The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has declared a nationwide strike following what it describes as the unjust dismissal of over 800 Nigerian employees by Dangote Refinery, accusing the company of replacing them with more than 2,000 foreign workers.
In a circular issued after an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on Saturday, PENGASSAN announced the total withdrawal of its members’ services from all offices, companies and field locations nationwide starting Sunday, September 28 at 6am, with a complete shutdown by 12:01 am on Monday, September 29.
Signed by PENGASSAN’s General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, the statement condemned the refinery’s actions as a breach of Nigeria’s labour laws, constitutional rights, and international labour standards.
“This is a clear assault on Nigerian workers. Dismissing our members for joining a legally recognized union and replacing them with expatriates is unacceptable,” the circular stated.
To enforce its stance, PENGASSAN outlined key actions which includes; Immediate shutdown of all member-operated facilities across Nigeria, Suspension of crude oil and gas supply to Dangote Refinery and its petrochemical plant, a call for International Oil Companies (IOCs) to ramp down gas production linked to the Dangote operations and 24-hour prayer chain across all branches, seeking divine intervention and urging authorities to act swiftly.
The union vowed to sustain the strike until all sacked workers are reinstated, warning,
“An injury to one is an injury to all. No company is above Nigerian law.”
PENGASSAN also alleged that the refinery had been deliberately targeting union members for transfer to unrelated subsidiaries, including Dangote Sugar, in what the union calls a tactic to weaken union presence.
In a petition sent by the Dangote Refinery Branch of PENGASSAN to its Lagos Zonal Office, the union claimed that Nigerian engineers who joined the association were being unlawfully reassigned under punitive conditions.
The petition, signed by Branch Chairman Abdulfatai Muhammed and Secretary Eseoghene Choice, also accused the refinery of:
– Failing to provide adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
– Operating in hazardous conditions without hazard allowances or health coverage.
– Offering substandard salaries to Nigerian engineers, among the lowest in the sector.
– Filling key management roles with expatriates, in violation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act of 2010.
PENGASSAN also took issue with Dangote Refinery’s recent policy of selling petrol exclusively in U.S dollars, warning that such moves could weaken the naira, stoke inflation, and undermine national energy security.
“This refinery has enjoyed massive government incentives and tax waivers. To now sack Nigerians, import foreign labour and price fuel in foreign currency is a slap in the face of national interest,” the union said.
In response, Dangote Refinery sources dismissed the allegations as grossly exaggerated, stating that no mass layoffs had occurred.
Management said the company was merely undergoing internal restructuring to improve efficiency and that the majority of its workforce remains Nigerian.
