The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has vowed to continue its nationwide strike against the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE, dismissing reports of a court order halting its action.
In a memo signed by its General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, the union unequivocally stated: “Our attention has been drawn to rumours making rounds on a Court injunction restraining our noble exercise. I want to unequivocally state that we have not been served anything of such. Court orders or processes are served via court bailiff and not through social media,” the memo stated.
The General Secretary instructed all comrades to “continue with the industrial action until further instruction,” adding, “Only information coming through our official channels should be regarded as authentic.”
Okugbawa praised members’ resolve, stating, “We have just begun, and victory is in sight.”
The union’s defiance follows an interim order issued earlier on Monday by Justice Emmanuel Subilim of the National Industrial Court in Abuja, restraining PENGASSAN from proceeding with the action.
The order, granted after an ex parte application by the refinery’s counsel, George Ibrahim, SAN, held that the strike could cripple essential services, cause “irreparable damage” to the refinery’s operations, and seriously damage the nation’s economy. Justice Subilim granted a seven-day interim injunction, with the motion on notice scheduled for October 13.
While the legal battle unfolded, PENGASSAN members took to the streets on Monday.
They barricaded the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) headquarters in Abuja, and blocked entrances to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission. Protesters chanted solidarity songs and carried placards accusing Dangote Refinery of “violating labour rights.”
The union’s demonstrations stem from accusations that Dangote illegally dismissed over 800 Nigerian workers and replaced them with “over 2,000 Indians.”
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In its circular, PENGASSAN alleged the refinery’s actions breached Nigeria’s labour laws, the Constitution, and International Labour Organisation conventions.
The union directed members to cut crude and gas supplies, warning, “All control room and field operations must stop without delay.”
Backing the union, Trade Union Congress (TUC) Secretary General, Nuhu Toro, declared: “We stand in full solidarity with the affected workers. No corporation will be allowed to trample on workers’ rights.”
Toro demanded the reinstatement of the dismissed staff and a public apology, warning that affiliates were “on red alert for a broader strike.”
Dangote Refinery, commissioned in May 2023, consistently denied breaching workers’ rights.
The company maintained that its restructuring was necessary to safeguard operations after “internal sabotage” and stressed that “thousands of Nigerians remained employed,” with only a fraction affected.
The refinery accused the union of “criminal conduct” and economic sabotage, stating, “No law grants PENGASSAN the right to cut off supplies.”
It warned that a prolonged strike could destabilize fuel supply chains and erode government revenue, urging the Federal Government to intervene.
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