Fresh tension is unfolding in Nigeria’s oil sector as the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has threatened to shut down the Dangote Refinery following the mass dismissal of workers.
The crisis may lead to a hike in the price of petrol if not addressed.
This was disclosed in a statement on Friday by the General Secretary of PENGASSAN, Lumumba Okugbawa after the Dangote Refinery sacked over 800 Nigerians hours after they joined the union.
The union threatened to explore all options if the management of the 650,000 barrel-per-day refinery fails to recall the sacked workers.
Dangote Group in a statement on Friday confirmed the sack, noting that the action became necessary to safeguard the refinery from ‘repeated acts of sabotage’.
The company did not give detail of the exact number of staff sacked and their offence it termed as acts of sabotage.
“A very small number of staff were affected,” Dangote Group said in a statement.
On their part, the sacked workers in a viral letter on Friday detailed how Dangote Refinery allegedly victimised them for voluntarily belonging to a union as prescribed by Nigeria’s Constitution.
PENGASSAN further alleged that Dangote refinery has replaced the 800 sacked Nigerians with 2,000 Indians.
The union said it had summoned an emergency National Executive Council meeting to decide on the best approach to reverse the Dangote Refinery’s action meted out on Nigerian workers.
