PENGASSAN, Dangote Refinery Management Hold Closed-Door Meeting with FG
PENGASSAN, Dangote Refinery Management Hold Closed-Door Meeting with FG
A delegation from the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN) and the management team of Dangote Petroleum Refinery are currently engaged in a reconciliation meeting with representatives of the Federal Government.
Led by President Festus Osifo, PENGASSAN members and some representatives from the Dangote refinery management arrived at the conference room of the Minister of Labour and Employment for their scheduled meeting.
The meeting is also attended by Mohammed Dingyadi, the Minister of Labour and Employment, along with Nkiruka Onyejeocha, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment.
The union and the private refinery are in conflict over unresolved labor issues.
On Monday, members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN) blockaded the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) premises in Abuja as part of a nationwide industrial action directed by their national executive committee.
The union members, who are upset, are protesting the claimed unlawful dismissal of more than 800 Nigerian workers by the management at Dangote Refinery.
Our on-site correspondent observed union members singing solidarity songs as they assembled at the NNPCL office and those of the oil and gas regulators during the protest.
The union members obstructed the entrance to their premises, while their colleagues at the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) similarly blocked access to theirs.
A similar situation is occurring at the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) headquarters.
In a circular released following an emergency meeting of the National Executive Council on Saturday, September 27, 2025, General Secretary Lumumba Okugbawa signed off on accusations against the refinery. The union alleged that by dismissing employees for becoming members of their association, the refinery had breached Nigeria’s labor laws, violated constitutional rights and contravened International Labour Organisation conventions.
Last week, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery announced that its recent restructuring, which resulted in some employees being dismissed, was intended to prevent occasional instances of sabotage.
It also rejected assertions that the exercise was arbitrary, stating that it aimed to address safety concerns and enhance operational efficiency.
