Labour Union Insists on Defending Members’ Rights as Presidency Urges Patriotism
A fresh confrontation has erupted between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Presidency following Vice President Kashim Shettima’s criticism of the union’s industrial action against the Dangote Refinery.
PENGASSAN, in response, declared that it would repeat its strike action if its members were sacked again for joining the association, saying the union would never compromise its duty to defend workers’ rights.
This development follows protests in Kaduna where demonstrators accused the labour body of attempting to sabotage the multi-billion-dollar Dangote Refinery project.
Union Defends Strike Over Workers’ Dismissal
Last week, PENGASSAN shut down major oil and gas installations after alleging that the Dangote Refinery dismissed 800 employees who had joined the union. The refinery, however, maintained that only a few workers were laid off for allegedly engaging in acts of sabotage, describing the move as part of its internal reorganisation.
The strike action disrupted oil and gas production nationwide, leading to a decline in power generation and fuel supply. Following government intervention, PENGASSAN suspended the strike after the Dangote Group agreed to redeploy the affected workers to other subsidiaries.
Despite the suspension, fuel queues persisted in parts of the country, and the price of cooking gas remained high—averaging ₦2,000 per kilogram compared to about ₦900 before the dispute.
Shettima Backs Dangote, Warns Against Holding Nation Hostage
Speaking at the opening of the 2025 Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja, Vice President Kashim Shettima described business magnate Aliko Dangote as a symbol of Nigeria’s economic progress. He urged labour unions to exercise restraint, warning that no group should hold the country hostage over minor industrial disputes.
“Aliko Dangote is not an individual; he’s an institution, and a leading light in Nigeria’s economic parliament,” Shettima stated.
“If he had invested $10 billion in companies like Microsoft or Amazon, he might be worth $80 billion today. But he chose to invest in Nigeria, and we must protect and support such patriotism.”
He appealed for cooperation between organised labour and private sector operators, stressing that Nigeria’s economic development must not be jeopardized by unnecessary confrontations.
“Nigeria is greater than PENGASSAN. Nigeria is greater than all of us,” Shettima said firmly.
PENGASSAN: “The Nation Is Also Bigger Than Dangote”
Reacting, PENGASSAN President Festus Osifo insisted that while Nigeria is indeed greater than the union, it is equally greater than the Presidency and the Dangote Group.
“Of course, the nation is bigger than PENGASSAN, just as it is bigger than Dangote and the Presidency. We have a mandate to protect our members’ jobs, and we will continue to discharge that duty whenever necessary,” Osifo said.
Osifo, who also heads the Trade Union Congress (TUC), warned that similar actions would be repeated if the rights of workers were violated again.
“Should the same event occur tomorrow, our response will be the same,” he added.
When asked about speculations that the Federal Government might dissolve PENGASSAN over threats to national energy security, Osifo replied, “Does the law prohibit workers’ right to strike?”
The General Secretary of PENGASSAN, Lumumba Okugbawa, echoed the same sentiment, saying, “Is Nigeria not bigger than any individual or institution?”
Economic Experts Call for Balance Between Labour and Industry
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, called for continued dialogue and reform support to sustain national growth. He noted that Nigeria’s economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies and foreign exchange deregulation, had prevented fiscal collapse.
Bagudu projected a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 4.6 percent for 2025 and said the upcoming National Development Plan 2026–2030 would target a $1 trillion economy by 2030 through industrialisation and infrastructure expansion.
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, added that Nigeria must move from “policy talk to practical impact,” emphasising that trade reforms should translate to job creation and export growth.
Protesters Accuse Union of Economic Sabotage
Meanwhile, a coalition of civil groups under the banner Partners for National Economic Progress (PANEP) protested in Kaduna, alleging that PENGASSAN was undermining Nigeria’s local refining ambition.
“This struggle is against the cartel that destroyed our public refineries, killed the textile industry, and now wants to strangle the Dangote Refinery,” said PANEP leader Igwe Ude-Umanta.
The protesters called on President Bola Tinubu to ensure that local refineries, including Dangote’s, receive crude oil at the same price as foreign refiners to sustain production and investor confidence.
Another speaker, Dahiru Maishanu, described PENGASSAN’s actions as “economic terrorism,” urging the Federal Government to sanction those sabotaging local industries.
Dangote Group Appreciates Tinubu’s Intervention
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for intervening in the crisis and preventing what it described as “disruptive actions” by PENGASSAN.
The refinery credited senior government officials, including the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Adeola Ajayi; and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed, for restoring normalcy in the energy sector.
“We remain very grateful to these officials for their patriotism and national service,” the statement concluded.
Okay News reports that as of Monday, the sacked engineers from the refinery were still awaiting their redeployment letters, signalling that negotiations between the parties remain ongoing.
