...as PENGASSAN withdraws services nationwide
…SDP condemns the strike
…PENGASSAN plotting to sabotage energy independence – Consumer Council
The Federal Government has summoned the leadership of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENSASSAN) and the management of Dangote Refinery to an emergency meeting over ongoing rift between the duo.
The government also urged PENSASSAN members nationwide to reconsider its strike over its dispute with Dangote Refinery, saying the plan, if enforced would take great till on the economy.
According to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Maigari Dingyadi, the meeting will hold at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
Salient Times reports that the rift between Dangote Refinery and PENGASSAN reached crescendo on Sunday when the union directed all its members to withdraw their services over the sack of at least 800 members of the union.
Reacting to the development, Dingyadi said the ongoing dispute would have adverse impacts on both on economic stability and national security, while calling on the leadership of PENGASSAN to withdraw the strike declaration to allow his Ministry to conciliate the dispute in a peaceful atmosphere
“The Ministry of Labour and Employment through the Director of Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations has extended invitations to the leadership of PENGASSAN and the management of Dangote Refinery to attend a conciliation meeting in my office on Monday.”
“I appeal to both parties to be mindful of the importance of the petroleum sector to the country, being the core of her economy.
“A strike will not only lead to heavy revenue losses by the country but also cause more hardship and difficulties for Nigerians. Consequentially, it will have adverse impacts, both on economic stability and national security,” Patience Onuobia, spokesperson of the Ministry, quoted the Minister to have said.
‘Sabotage against Nigerians,’ SDP’s Gabam faults PENGASSAN strike
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, has condemned the decision of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to embark on a nationwide strike, describing it as a misguided move that threatens Nigeria’s economy and the welfare of its citizens.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Sunday, Gabam said the union’s directive to shut down operations in the oil and gas sector, particularly targeting the Dangote Refinery, amounted to sabotage and could plunge millions of Nigerians into hardship.
According to him, “the recent declaration by PENGASSAN to embark on a nationwide strike, effectively shutting down the oil and gas sector, is a reprehensible act of sabotage against the Nigerian people,” Gabam stated.
“By targeting the Dangote Refinery and instructing members to withdraw services, PENGASSAN is not only jeopardizing the stability of the oil and gas sector but also putting the livelihoods of millions of Nigerians at risk.”
He warned that the phased shutdown, including suspension of supplies to the refinery, would trigger fuel shortages, price hikes, and potential instability across the country.
Alhaji Gabam however urged Nigerians to resist what he described as “an attempt to hold the nation hostage,” insisting that the union’s demands appeared self-serving and contrary to national interest.
According to him, ” I reject the union’s demands, as evident from the directive to target the Dangote Refinery, which appear to be driven by a desire to undermine the progress made by the Nigerian government in the oil and gas sector,” he said.
“The government must stand firm and reject any attempts to use industrial action as a means of extorting concessions or disrupting the economy.”
The SDP chairman expressed solidarity with the federal government, saying efforts to strengthen economic development should not be derailed by what he termed “selfish interests.”
According to him, “I stand with the Nigerian government in its efforts to promote economic growth and development,” Gabam affirmed.
“I urge all Nigerians to remain vigilant and united in the face of this challenge, rejecting any attempts to destabilize the economy or undermine the nation’s progress.”
Gabam’s comments come amid growing concerns over the impact of the planned strike on energy supply, businesses, and households across the country.
Consumer Forum says PENGASSAN plotting to sabotage energy independence
Following plans by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, to shut down Dangote Refinery, the Concerned Nigerian Consumers Forum has called on the Federal Government and the Department of State Services, DSS, to investigate what it described as a plot by the union to sabotage energy independence in the country.
The Forum, while expressing alarm over PENGASSAN’s threat to picket the $20 billion refinery over recent mass sacking of workers, described Dangote Petroleum Refinery as a critical national asset aimed at achieving Nigeria’s energy independence.
In a statement signed by Comrade Olabisi Taiwo, President, and Dr. Justice Akani Alikor, Secretary, the Forum accused PENGASSAN of plotting to return Nigerians to the agonies of fuel scarcity, with attendant economic instability and national embarrassment.
Urging Nigerians to question PENGASSAN’s motives, the Forum said, “PENGASSAN, alongside NUPENG, played a significant role in the collapse of Nigeria’s public refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna.
“They resisted reforms, blocked privatization, and crippled fuel supply with strikes. Their actions contributed to the rot that turned these refineries into relics of corruption and mismanagement.”
According to the Forum, Dangote Refinery is a private initiative designed to end Nigeria’s reliance on imported fuel while stabilizing prices and creating jobs.
It further noted that the refinery, which employs over 3,000 Nigerians and continues to recruit, is not anti-labor but focused on operational efficiency and safety.
The Forum criticized PENGASSAN’s threat to picket the refinery despite a court order restraining industrial action, describing its actions as “union overreach” and a violation of the rule of law.
“Who benefits if the refinery fails? Certainly not the Nigerian people but fuel importers and rent seekers who profit from chaos,” the Forum noted.
Condemning what it termed “irresponsible unionism”, the Forum urged PENGASSAN to engage in dialogue, respect the courts and prioritize national interest.
In the same vein, the Forum called on the ministries of Labour, Petroleum Resources and Justice to intervene and stop the threat to shut down the refinery.
“The government must send a clear message: industrial blackmail will not be tolerated.
“Nigerians have suffered enough from fuel queues and economic hardship. The Dangote Refinery is our best chance at energy independence, and we must not allow vested interests to destroy it,” the Forum added
