The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has called on the management of Dangote Refinery to reinstate all recently dismissed workers, warning that failure to do so would compel the union to invoke provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and relevant labour laws.
In a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Comrade Lumumba Ighotemu Okugbawa, and circulated to journalists, the union expressed outrage over what it described as “anti-labour practices” at the refinery.
“The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) is deeply disturbed by the recent unjust termination of over 800 Nigerian workers at Dangote Refinery,” the statement read. “These employees, who have contributed immensely to the plant’s operations, are now being replaced with more than 2,000 Indian nationals, many of whom reportedly lack proper immigration documentation.”
PENGASSAN accused the refinery of violating Section 7 of the Labour Act, which guarantees fair treatment and prohibits workplace discrimination, stressing that the mass dismissal of Nigerian staff without consultation or justification contravenes their legal rights.
The union further condemned the move as a direct attack on Nigerian workers’ rights to organise and unionise, as enshrined in the Trade Union Act.
“This action is a dangerous attempt to sideline Nigerian labour in favour of foreign workers,” the statement continued. “We will not stand by while the sacrifices and skills of our citizens are disregarded. Employers owe a duty of accountability to the communities in which they operate.”
PENGASSAN also accused the Dangote Group of pursuing profits at the expense of local talent and community welfare across its business interests, describing the trend as exploitative and unacceptable.
The union therefore demanded the immediate recall of all sacked workers, warning that non-compliance would trigger full-scale legal and constitutional measures to protect Nigerian employees.
It announced that an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting has been scheduled to decide the union’s next line of action.
“We call on all Nigerians to rally behind this cause and resist any form of slave labour or exploitation in our country,” the statement concluded. “An injury to one is an injury to all.”
