The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has assured that normalcy will return to the industry if Dangote Refinery recalls the workers it sacked.

Daily Trust reports that the union is currently on an indefinite strike in protest against the dismissal of some employees at the Dangote Refinery in Lagos.

According to the union’s General Secretary, Lumumba Okungbowa, the strike took effect from Sunday, September 28, 2025, beginning with a shutdown of operations at field locations.

The directive was extended to members in offices, companies, institutions, and agencies nationwide, who are to stop work from 12:01 am on Monday, September 29.

The union also ordered an immediate suspension of crude oil and gas supply to the Dangote refinery and petrochemical facilities.

However, the company, while confirming the dismissal of some workers on Friday, said the action was part of a reorganization exercise, insisting that “only a small number were affected.”

The refinery also accused PENGASSAN of seeking to sabotage the country’s energy supply chain through its directive to cut crude oil and gas flows to the plant.

However, speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, the President of PENGASSAN, Festus Osifo, described the Dangote Refinery’s action as being capable of sabotaging the Nigerian economy.

He said, “For us in PENGASSAN, we are focused. We don’t listen to those side talks that don’t make any sense and meaning.

“For us in PENGASSAN, we are extremely focused. PENGASSAN today exists in about 200 oil and gas companies in Nigeria.”

He noted that union had contributed to the growth of the Nigerian economy and provided foreign exchange earnings which, he claimed, helped Dangote in building his refinery.

“We have contributed to the growth of the Nigerian economy. We are the people behind the numbers of the GDP. We are the people that are behind even the foreign exchange earnings that we have made in Nigeria over the years. Even the foreign exchange earnings that Dangote used in building the refinery, it is the oil and gas workers.”

He, however, assured that the union was ready to resolve the ongoing rift if Dangote would recall the sacked workers.

“So, we are not distracted. Dangote is just making noise. If Dangote will call back the people he has terminated today, I can tell you normalcy will be restored in less than one hour.

“He is the one sabotaging the Nigerian economy. So, Dangote should be interrogated! Why would you just wake up, because people opted to join union that exists everywhere in the industry, you are now doing what you are doing! Ask him those questions. He needs to answer them.” (Daily Trust)