PENGASSAN disowns FG communiqué on Dangote dispute, demands recall of 800 sacked staff

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has dismissed claims that it endorsed a reconciliation agreement with Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE, insisting it never signed the communiqué released after government-brokered talks.

The union’s president, Festus Osifo, speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, said the document circulated in Abuja was merely a statement from the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, who chaired the meeting.

“If you see that communiqué, we did not sign it. Normally, it is supposed to be signed by three parties. We did not sign because we felt that some things in it were not okay with us,” Osifo said.

He explained that PENGASSAN’s National Executive Council (NEC) had instructed negotiators to focus on reinstating the 800 refinery workers laid off by Dangote, rejecting reports that the union’s agitation was only about check-off dues.

“What we prioritised was how our members would return to work and provide for their families. Take the people back to the refinery,” he stressed.

Osifo also dismissed Dangote’s accusation that the disengaged workers had sabotaged operations, describing the allegation as false and damaging to their future employment prospects.

“The release that Dangote made on workers sabotaging the economy was totally incorrect. If we had allowed that sabotage tag to stand, those 800 people would not be able to secure jobs in the future. That stigma would remain forever,” he warned.

The union leader vowed that PENGASSAN would not relent in fighting unfair labour practices. “If Dangote does not do the needful, our tools are always available. We will never get tired of struggling for what is right. We have been around for 50 years before the Dangote Refinery came on stream,” he declared.