₦airaland Forum

Summary of Dangote Refinery’s Statement Against PENGASSAN this evening Sunday 28, 2025.

1. Accusations Against PENGASSAN

PENGASSAN (Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria) directed its members to withdraw services and cut crude/gas supply to Dangote Refinery starting 28–29 September 2025.

Dangote Refinery accuses PENGASSAN of engaging in sabotage, lies, and “terror tactics” against Nigeria and its people.

Claims PENGASSAN’s actions threaten national supply of essential petroleum products (petrol, diesel, kerosene, cooking gas, aviation fuel), endangering hospitals, schools, emergency services, and transport.

2. Disputed Allegations by PENGASSAN:
PENGASSAN accused Dangote Refinery of:
Sacking over 800 members for joining the union.
Replacing Nigerians with over 2,000 Indians.
Enslaving Nigerian workers.
Dangote denies all, stating:
3,000+ Nigerians currently work at the refinery.
Only a small, non-arbitrary reorganization occurred.
Graduate trainee and experienced hire programs continue to recruit Nigerians.

3. History of PENGASSAN’s Actions

Sabotaged the 2007 sale of Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries to Dangote Group, which the government later admitted was a missed opportunity.
Misled Nigerians over the Port Harcourt Refinery rehabilitation, which turned out to be a scam.
Opposed the Petroleum Industry Act (2021) amendment aimed at restructuring joint ventures for government liquidity.

4. PENGASSAN’s Interests Questioned

Dangote accuses PENGASSAN leaders of living lavishly off members’ dues without accountability.
Claims the Association serves oligarchs’ interests, not Nigerian workers.

5. Call to Action: Dangote urges the Federal Government, security agencies, and Nigerians to resist PENGASSAN’s “blackmail and sabotage.”

Argues that legitimate grievances by workers should be addressed via employment contracts, not strikes.

Insists that Nigerian security forces must protect oil and gas workers and facilities to ensure uninterrupted supply of essential petroleum products.

In essence: Dangote Refinery accuses PENGASSAN of lies, sabotage, and endangering Nigerians by ordering shutdowns. It denies union claims of mass sackings and foreign labor replacement, framing PENGASSAN as a self-serving bully that has historically sabotaged Nigeria’s oil sector. Dangote calls on government and citizens to reject PENGASSAN’s “terror tactics.”

lwisee:
Dangote should have been smarter by not sacking 800 workers because they joined PENGASAN.
From what I know, you can't compare Dangote refinery workers with their peers in other oil and gas companies.
They look more like civil servants, nothing special.
If this style of ensalving workers is what made him the richest man in Africa then that's shameful.
Working with Dangote should be a thing to be proud of but non of his Nigerian workers are happy with the pay they get.

lwisee:
Dangote should call back the 800 workers he sacked last week because they join Labour Union (PENGASAN).

lwisee:
Dangote should have been smarter by not sacking 800 workers because they joined PENGASAN.
From what I know, you can't compare Dangote refinery workers with their peers in other oil and gas companies.
They look more like civil servants, nothing special.
If this style of ensalving workers is what made him the richest man in Africa then that's shameful.
Working with Dangote should be a thing to be proud of but non of his Nigerian workers are happy with the pay they get.

EngrHumble:
Do you or PENGASSAN have any evidence that the staff were dismissed as a result of joining the union?


If they have evidence, let them use legal means to seek the reinstatement of the staff

EngrHumble:
Do you or PENGASSAN have any evidence that the staff were dismissed as a result of joining the union?


If they have evidence, let them use legal means to seek the reinstatement of the staff

adekolaelect:
Humm .... Dangote is not ready to negotiate with the bully of These Terror PENGASAN and PENGASAN are not ready to sell their Storages facilities as scrab like it happened when importations of cement stoped in Nigeria then. But later later who has the product will win these case(The Dangote ) PENGASAN should produce instead of becoming agent of Destructions to those that produce .

Softmirror:
Sincerely speaking. It wont be a bad idea if we experience fuel scarcity with cut throat price for like 2 weeks to about a month especially now that we have entered the -ember months. Hopefully, some people will appreciate the SANITY the government has been trying so hard to maintain in the oil sector.

Watcharena:
have you worked with him

Softmirror:
Sincerely speaking. It wont be a bad idea if we experience fuel scarcity with cut throat price for like 2 weeks to about a month especially now that we have entered the -ember months. Hopefully, some people will appreciate the SANITY the government has been trying so hard to maintain in the oil sector.

owobokiri:
You go explain tire..
Greedy man..
This one think say NUPENG and PENGASSAN na Childs play..
Go amd ask Abacha about one Frank Kokori.
Those two organisations came soooo close to toppling Abacha during the NADECO mess. Kokori saw hell fighting Abacha. Real fighter.
More than the main trade union, those two organisations are too effective in terms of marshaling their members for the "struggle"..

lwisee:
Dangote should call back the 800 workers he sacked last week because they join Labour Union (PENGASAN).

EngrHumble:
https://x.com/DangoteGroup/status/1972373350325617043?t=ZfBCQb48KGaUrT4an_Jrxg&s=19[/quote]Dangote is not entirely honest with Nigerians, same Dangote group that issued out this statement is now turning back to blame PENGASSAN? Honestly almost everybody na Dagbo for this country

Wallade:
Do you really think these PENGASSON members don't have adequate information about the situation in Dangote Refinery and the allegations that they have made against the management?

These guys are senior staff of all organizations in the Nigerian oil and gas sector. They have more information than you do and they have a right to protect the welfare, remuneration, benefits and working conditions of member staff and job opportunities of Nigerians.

There is nothing illegal about strike, it is legitimate under international labor laws.