The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria [PENGASSAN] has instructed its members nationwide to withdraw their services following the alleged mass dismissal of over 800 Nigerian workers by Dangote Refinery.
In a circular issued after an emergency National Executive Council meeting on Saturday, September 27, 2025, and signed by General Secretary Lumumba Okugbawa, the union accused the refinery of violating Nigeria’s labour laws, the Constitution, and International Labour Organisation conventions by dismissing workers for joining the association.
The NEC alleged the refinery had replaced the dismissed staff with “over 2,000 Indians,” calling the action “an affront to all workers in Nigeria.”
To press its demands, PENGASSAN directed members in field locations to down tools from Sunday, and ordered a total nationwide shutdown across offices, companies, institutions, and agencies from Monday.
The letter reads in part, “All PENGASSAN members working across field locations are to withdraw services effective 06:00hrs on Sunday, 28 September 2025 and commence 24-hour prayers. This includes all control room operations, panel operations, and outfield personnel.
“All PENGASSAN members across all offices, companies, institutions, and agencies should withdraw all services effective 00:01 on Monday, 29th of September, 2025.
“No intervention whatsoever will be entertained across field locations except where the safety of personnel and assets is at risk; such clearance must be obtained from the National Secretariat.
“All processes that involve gas and crude supply to Dangote Refinery should be let off effectively immediately,
“All IOC branches must ramp down gas production and supply to Dangote Refinery and petrochemicals.”
But the company denied mass sacking. https://punchng.com/dangote-fumes-at-unions-order-to-ground-refinery/?amp
Management said the company was conducting an internal reorganisation to improve efficiency and insisted that the majority of its workforce remained Nigerian.
PENGASSAN’s action, if fully observed, risks disrupting supplies to the refinery and could have broader implications for downstream operations linked to the plant. [The Punch]
