Tension has erupted at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery as Nigerian workers under the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) accuse refinery president, Aliko Dangote, of victimisation and mass sackings.
In a petition addressed to the PENGASSAN Lagos Zonal Chairman and signed by the Caretaker Committee Chairman and Secretary, Abdulfaitai Muhammed and Eseoghene Choice, the workers detailed alleged intimidation, discriminatory treatment, and unconstitutional actions taken against them.
According to the aggrieved staff, Dangote ordered refinery security to deny Nigerian employees entry into the facility, allowing only expatriates, mainly Indians and Pakistanis.
The workers further alleged that after voluntarily joining PENGASSAN in line with Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of association, the company abruptly withdrew staff buses, forcing employees to spend as much as ₦4,000 daily on transportation.
Events escalated on Wednesday night when, around 9:59 p.m., employees received a mass termination email addressed to “All Staff” of Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals FZE.
The petition also revealed an intercepted directive instructing security to arrest and detain the union’s caretaker chairman, which workers described as targeted intimidation of labour leaders.
“These events clearly amount to intimidation and victimisation of workers for exercising their constitutional right to freedom of association,” the letter read.
Reacting to the crisis, PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, vowed that the dismissed workers would be reinstated, stressing that the union will not tolerate such an attack on labour rights.
DAILY POST confirmed that the refinery management admitted to carrying out the mass termination of appointments. Meanwhile, PENGASSAN has summoned an emergency National Executive Council meeting to deliberate on the matter.
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