A fresh face-off has emerged between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Presidency after Vice President Kashim Shettima condemned the union’s strike over the recent dismissal of workers at the Dangote Refinery.
Speaking at the opening of the 2025 Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja, Shettima described Aliko Dangote as an “institution” and warned that Nigeria must not be held hostage by labour unions over what he termed a minor dispute.
“Aliko Dangote is not an individual; he’s an institution and a leading light in Nigeria’s economic development,” Shettima said. “Nigeria is greater than PENGASSAN or any of us. We must not hold the nation to ransom.”
His comments came days after PENGASSAN shut down critical oil and gas facilities nationwide to protest the alleged dismissal of 800 unionised workers at the Dangote Refinery. The union claimed the sack was retaliation for workers joining PENGASSAN, while the refinery maintained that only a few employees were dismissed for sabotage as part of internal restructuring.
The industrial action triggered disruptions in gas and power supply before government intervention led to its suspension. The Federal Government reportedly directed the redeployment of affected workers to other Dangote business units.
Despite the truce, tension has persisted. PENGASSAN President Festus Osifo, who also heads the Trade Union Congress, fired back at Shettima’s comments, insisting that “Nigeria is also greater than Dangote and the Presidency.”
He maintained that the union would not hesitate to take the same action again if workers’ rights were violated.
“Should the same situation happen tomorrow, our approach will be exactly the same,” Osifo said, dismissing claims that the government could dissolve the union.
Meanwhile, protests broke out in Kaduna on Monday in support of the Dangote Refinery. The demonstrators, under the banner of Partners for National Economic Progress (PANEP), accused PENGASSAN and a “fuel import cartel” of sabotaging Nigeria’s push for domestic refining.
Carrying placards reading “Protect Local Refining” and “End Fuel Import Cartel”, the protesters called for a national policy to favour local production and punish those undermining the refinery.
A protest leader, Igwe Ude-Umanta, told the crowd that “forces benefiting from fuel importation” were working to frustrate the refinery’s success.
“This struggle is against the cartel that destroyed our public refineries and now wants to strangle the Dangote Refinery. We will resist them,” he said.
The group urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure local refineries receive crude oil at the same price offered to foreign buyers and to impose heavy tariffs on fuel imports to protect local production.
In response, PENGASSAN officials dismissed the Kaduna protesters as “ignorant,” insisting the union acted within the law.
Amid the tensions, PENGASSAN’s national leadership dissolved its Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC) and Nigerian Gas Marketing Limited branches for allegedly failing to cut gas supply to the Dangote Refinery during the strike.
The affected units have since petitioned the national secretariat, claiming they were unjustly punished despite risking their lives to implement the strike directive.
In a letter signed by 163 members, the branch leaders said they faced intimidation, operational hazards, and military presence at key gas facilities, which made full shutdown impossible.
“Our leaders made every effort to execute the order, despite safety concerns and the risk to their lives,” the petition read, calling for reinstatement and fair hearing.
Meanwhile, Dangote Petroleum Refinery has expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for what it described as his “decisive intervention” in resolving the standoff.
In a statement, the company commended the President and several top officials — including the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; DG of DSS, Adeola Ajayi; and DG of NIA, Mohammed Mohammed — for their “tireless efforts” in restoring calm to the energy sector.
It also acknowledged the contributions of the Ministers of Labour, Finance, and Economic Planning for their roles in defusing the crisis.
The refinery described the resolution as “a victory for Nigeria’s economy” and reiterated its commitment to supporting government reforms aimed at boosting local production and job creation.
