Tensions have deepened between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Presidency following Vice President Kashim Shettima’s criticism of the union’s recent strike against the Dangote refinery.
Shettima, speaking at the Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja, described Aliko Dangote as “an institution” and cautioned that no union should hold the country to ransom over what he termed a minor labour issue. He stressed that Nigeria’s reputation and investment climate depended on protecting local investors like Dangote, who, he noted, had invested billions into the country’s economy.
Reacting, PENGASSAN President Festus Osifo said the union’s mandate was to protect its members’ jobs and insisted that Nigeria was not only greater than the union, but also bigger than Dangote and the Presidency. He maintained that the association would take similar action if its members were sacked again for union-related reasons.
The dispute began after Dangote Refinery reportedly dismissed 800 workers for joining the union—a move PENGASSAN described as victimisation. The refinery denied the claim, saying only a few employees involved in acts of sabotage were let go. The ensuing strike caused disruptions in oil and gas production before the Federal Government intervened and persuaded both sides to suspend hostilities.
While normalcy has been restored, fuel queues lingered, and the price of cooking gas remained high, with some parts of Lagos selling at ₦2,000 per kilogram as of Monday.
Meanwhile, the standoff has triggered street protests in Kaduna, where demonstrators accused PENGASSAN of sabotaging Nigeria’s local refining efforts. The rally, organised by the Partners for National Economic Progress, called on the government to protect the Dangote refinery and impose tariffs to discourage fuel importation.
Protest leaders claimed an “oil import cartel” was trying to cripple local refineries and urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure that domestic refiners receive crude oil at the same price as foreign buyers. PENGASSAN dismissed the protesters as “ignorant people,” though the union acknowledged their right to demonstrate.
In a related development, PENGASSAN’s national body dissolved its Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company and Nigerian Gas Marketing Limited chapter after it failed to fully enforce a gas supply shutdown to Dangote during the strike. The affected members appealed, citing safety risks, technical limitations, and military presence at gas sites as reasons for noncompliance.
Meanwhile, Dangote Refinery expressed gratitude to President Tinubu and his cabinet for intervening in the crisis, saying their actions helped avert further disruption in the energy sector. The company described the government’s role as crucial in restoring stability and safeguarding a vital national investment.
