By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
ABUJA — AFTER several hours meeting between the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, over the feud between the two parties and the sack of about 800 staff of Dangote Refinery, it has been resolved that the disengaged staff should be recalled and be deployed to other companies within the Dangote Group.
The meeting for the truce was convened at the instance of the Ministry of Labour and Employment and was sequel to to the notice to stop gas supply to Dangote Petroleum Refinery and withdrawal of services by PENGASSAN.
The conciliation meeting was attended by the National Security Adviser, NSA, the Ministers of Labour and Employment, Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Budget and Economic Planning. Ministers of State for Labour and Employment, Petroleum Resources [Gas] represented by Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
Also in attendance at the meetings were the Directors-General of Department of State Service and the National Intelligence Agency,
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Chief Executives of NMDPRA and NUPRC, representatives of NNPCL.
The management of Dangote Group and the President and Secretary General of the Trade Union Congress, TUC and leadership of PENGASSAN attended the meeting that held on Monday 29th and Tuesday 30th September, 2025.
In a communique after the marathon meeting in the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, PENGASSAN agreed to start the process of calling off the strike.
The communique signed by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, also stated that it was agreed that no worker that was involved in the crisis should be victimized.
It reads: “Whereas the leadership of PENGASSAN said that the directives given to stop the supply of gas to Dangote Petroleum and withdrawal of services was in response to the termination of appointment of over Eight Hundred members of PENGASSAN by the management of the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, the management of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical on the other hand, explained the reason for disengagement of the workers was as a result of the ongoing reorganization in the company.”
It further stated: “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 Group 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”, the communique added.
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