Shehu Sani urges Dangote refinery to reinstate sacked workers

Former Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has called on the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery to immediately reinstate workers who were recently sacked.¹ He described the sackings as a violation of their constitutional right to join trade unions and warned that the move could threaten industrial peace.²

Sani’s intervention comes amid escalating tensions between the refinery’s management and organized labor, specifically the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).³

Here is a summary of the key points in the dispute:

• PENGASSAN’s Allegations: The union alleges that over 800 Nigerian workers were dismissed by the refinery for joining the association.⁴ PENGASSAN has described this action as a clear violation of Nigeria’s labor laws and international conventions on freedom of association.⁵ The union has also accused the company of replacing the sacked Nigerians with a significant number of Indian expatriates.⁶
• Dangote Refinery’s Response: The refinery’s management has confirmed that some workers were laid off but denies that the dismissals were related to union activities.⁷ It stated that the decision was part of a “total reorganisation” aimed at addressing “repeated acts of sabotage” that have raised safety concerns and affected operational efficiency.⁸ The company insists that a “very small number of staff” were affected and that over 3,000 Nigerians remain employed.⁹
• Shehu Sani’s Position: In a statement shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, Shehu Sani urged Dangote to recall the sacked workers.¹⁰ He emphasized that while the refinery is a strategic national asset, it must operate within the framework of Nigerian labor laws and respect workers’ rights.¹¹ He also appealed to PENGASSAN to suspend its directive to cut off gas supply to the refinery, warning that such an action could be detrimental to national economic interests.¹²
• Union’s Action: Following the dispute, PENGASSAN declared a nationwide strike and ordered its members to halt crude oil and gas supplies to the refinery.¹³ The union has vowed not to suspend the strike until all dismissed staff are reinstated.
• Government’s Involvement: The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Labour, has called for an emergency meeting between the Dangote Refinery management and PENGASSAN to find a swift resolution and prevent a broader industrial crisis in the oil and gas sector.¹⁴