Shehu Sani Urges Dangote Refinery to Rehire Sacked Workers

Former senator from Kaduna State, Shehu Sani, has called on the management of Dangote Refinery to immediately rehire workers who were reportedly fired for joining trade unions. He said the sackings violate workers’ constitutional rights and could threaten peace in the workplace.

In a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday, Sani also urged the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to stop its plan to cut gas supply to the refinery. He warned that such a move could damage the country’s economy.

He wrote:
“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.”

This appeal comes as tensions rise between Dangote Refinery and labour unions. PENGASSAN claims that over 800 workers were fired simply for joining the union. The union argues that this goes against Nigeria’s labour laws and international labour standards.

In response, PENGASSAN has ordered a nationwide shutdown of operations, including gas and crude oil supply to the refinery. The union also accused Dangote Refinery of replacing Nigerian workers with more than 2,000 Indian workers, causing public outrage.

Dangote Refinery has denied the union’s claims. The company accused PENGASSAN of trying to sabotage its operations for selfish reasons. It described the strike as “reckless, lawless, and dangerous,” and said the sackings were based on safety and performance issues, not union membership. The company added that it still employs over 3,000 Nigerians.

Senator Sani, a well-known human rights activist and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, said that while the refinery is an important national project, it must follow Nigeria’s labour laws and respect workers’ rights.

“The nation is proud of Dangote’s refinery and its remarkable success, but workers have the right to join unions, and this is protected by Nigerian law,” he added.

With PENGASSAN’s strike already in progress and refinery operations at risk, the federal government has scheduled a meeting for Monday to quickly resolve the issue and prevent a larger crisis in the oil and gas sector.

Source: Punch