Nigeria’s Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has accused Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals of sacking and intimidating workers after they joined the oil workers’ union.
The allegations were made in a letter addressed to the Zonal Chairman of PENGASSAN Lagos Zone and jointly signed on Thursday in Abuja by members of the refinery’s newly unionised branch caretaker committee (CTC).
Signatories included Eseoghene Choice, CTC branch secretary, and Abdulfaitai Muhammed, CTC branch chairman.
The committee said management issued a termination notice to “all staff” on Thursday night, just hours after workers confirmed their PENGASSAN membership during a verification meeting.
“We regret to inform you that at about 9:59 p.m., workers received a mass termination email,” the letter said.
The committee also alleged that management withdrew staff buses, forcing workers to spend up to 4,000 naira ($2.60) on transport, while denying them access to the refinery premises. Expatriates, it said, were still allowed entry.
“At about 6:30 p.m., staff members who had joined PENGASSAN were denied entry into the refinery and were informed it was on the orders of Alhaji Aliko Dangote,” the committee stated.
The CTC further accused management of targeting union leaders for arrest.
“We intercepted an internal directive ordering the arrest and detention of the CTC chairman by the General Manager of Human Asset Management. This is a direct act of intimidation against union leaders,” it alleged.
The union committee said the sack and restrictions violated Section 40 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of association.
“These events clearly amount to targeted intimidation and victimisation of workers for exercising their constitutional rights to freedom of association,” it added.
Dangote Group rejected the allegations, saying the dismissals were part of a safety-driven restructuring.
Femi Adekunle, Chief General Manager of Human Asset Management, said management acted following “multiple cases of reported sabotage across refinery units that posed major safety risks.”
He said the company “was left with no choice but to carry out a total reorganisation of the refinery, resulting in the disengagement of the affected staff, effective Thursday.”