Ex-Senator Shehu Sani Demands Reinstatement of Dangote Workers, Urges PENGASSAN to Halt Strike

Former Kaduna lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, has urged the management of Dangote Refinery to reinstate workers allegedly dismissed for joining trade unions, describing the action as a violation of constitutional rights and a threat to industrial harmony.

In a statement shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday, Sani also appealed to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to suspend its directive to halt gas supply to the refinery, warning that the move could jeopardise national economic interests.

“Dangote should recall the workers sacked because of their decision to join their trade unions. PENGASSAN should suspend their decision to cut off gas supply to the Dangote Refinery,” he wrote.

The senator’s intervention comes amid escalating tensions between the refinery and organised labour. PENGASSAN has accused the company of dismissing over 800 workers for unionising, a move it says violates Nigerian labour laws and international conventions. The union also alleged that the refinery replaced the workers with more than 2,000 foreign nationals, sparking outrage among labour and civil society groups.

In response, Dangote Refinery denied victimising workers, insisting the dismissals were linked to safety and efficiency issues. The company accused PENGASSAN of sabotage, branding the strike “reckless, lawless and dangerous,” and maintained that over 3,000 Nigerians remain employed at the facility.

Sani, a human rights advocate and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, stressed that while the refinery is a vital national asset, it must operate within the framework of Nigerian labour laws.

“The nation is proud of Dangote’s refinery and its unprecedented achievements, but the right of workers to unionise is enshrined in our laws,” he said.

With PENGASSAN’s strike already disrupting operations and raising concerns of wider economic impact, the federal government has convened an emergency meeting today (Monday) to seek a resolution and avert a full-blown industrial crisis in the oil and gas sector.


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