PENGASSAN To Call Off Strike As Dangote Agrees To Reinstate Disengaged Staff
By Sunday Etuka, Abuja
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has agreed to call off its 3-day strike following the renewed commitment from the Dangote Refinery to reinstate the over 800 disengaged staff.
This follows the timely intervention of the Federal Government to broker peace between the two warring parties.
The peace agreement, according to a statement on Wednesday by the Head, Information and Public Relations, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Patience Onuobia, was contained in a communique released after a conciliation meeting between the management of Dangote Petroleum, and PENGASSAN at the instance of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi.
The statement disclosed that Dingyadi summoned the meeting sequel to the notice by PENGASSAN to stop gas supply to Dangote Refinery and withdraw services nationwide over the disengagement of its members by the Refinery.
it said the meeting, which commenced at the Office of the Minister of Labour and Employment on Monday, 29 September, continued at the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) on Tuesday, 30 September 2025.
The communique issued after the meeting, signed by Dingyadi, stated in part:
“After a lengthy discussion, the matter was resolved as follows:
“The Honourable Minister of Labour informed the meeting that unionisation is a right of workers in accordance with the laws of Nigeria and that this right should be respected.
“After examining the procedure used in the disengagement of workers, the meeting agreed that the management of Dangote shall immediately start the process of taking the disengaged staff to other companies within the Dangote Group, with no loss of pay.
“No worker will be victimised arising from their role in the impasse between Dangote and PENGASSAN.
“PENGASSAN agreed to start the process of calling off the strike.
“Both parties agreed to this understanding in good faith.”
According to the communique, others in attendance at the meeting were the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Director General of Department of State Services (DSS), Director General of National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas) represented by Permanent Secretary,o Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Chief Executives of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Representatives of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
