NB247
A possible strike action by oil workers looming, following the mass termination of appointments of workers at the Dangote Refinery.
The sack was said to have been effected following reports that about 90 percent of the refinery’s workers had joined the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria(PENGASSAN).
The sack, it was gathered, came a day after the employees joined the union.
It was further gathered that Dangote announced the sack in a memo citing “total reorganisation,” and the sack takes effect from September 25, 2025.
Management cited “sabotage in different units” as reason for the reorganization.
Affected employees were directed to surrender company property and obtain exit clearance.
Finance department was also instructed to compute final benefits and entitlements for those affected.
The refinery and PENGASSAN have been in ongoing disputes over unionization, just as the timing suggests a strong response to employees’ collective bargaining move.
Meanwhile, PENGASSAN, has called for a National Executive Council Meeting after Dangote’s action.
The National President of PENGASSAN, Comrade Festus Osifo,made this known to DAILY POST in an interview on Friday.
He said the union will arrive at the best action against Dangote Refinery in its NEC meeting scheduled for the weekend.
”We will call for an emergency NEC meeting by the weekend to decide on the way forward,” he told DAILY POST.
Osifo had assured that all the sacked workers will be recalled.
This portends that there may be strike action which may throw Nigeria’s oil sector into another round of crisis.
This may also lead to scarcity of petroleum products and a return to the era of fuel queues in fuel stations.
Dangote secured an interim injunction in early September 2025, which lasted for seven days, to stop NUPENG from embarking on strike.
NUPENG said the action is typical of Aliko Dangote, the president of Dangote Refinery.
“That is the stuff Dangote is made of,” Mr Osifo told Daily Post . “He has shown his true colours to all Nigerians.”