Dangote Refinery, PENGASSAN Still Deadlocked as Negotiations Continue Today

Dangote Refinery management and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) have failed to resolve their dispute regarding the alleged mass dismissal of union members.

The meeting called by the federal government to broker peace ended in a deadlock on Monday night.

The meeting which commenced at about 3: 30 p.m. at the Minister of Labour and Employment’s Conference Hall in Abuja, broke up few minutes after midnight without any agreement.

According to Vanguard Newspaper, talks are expected to reconvene at 2p.m. today, September 30.

The Federal Government had summoned both sides to the negotiating table following reports of widespread discontent.

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The rift stems from allegations by PENGASSAN that Dangote Refinery had embarked on the mass transfer and sack of union members.

Also, the company allegedly replaced some Nigerians with foreign nationals, a claim the company has consistently denied.

At the meeting, PENGASSAN was led by its President, Festus Osifo, alongside the General Secretary of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, Nuhu Toro.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammad Dingyadi, led the government delegation, while Dangote Refinery was represented by senior management officials.

The session, originally scheduled for 2p.m., began around 3:50 p.m. due to the late arrival of key stakeholders, before moving into a closed-door discussion that lasted several hours.

In his opening remarks, Dingyadi underscored the gravity of the situation.

“What’s happening today is very dear to our economy and to the security of the country. We have been informed that PENGASSAN is on strike,” he said.

The Minister appealed to both parties to demonstrate good faith in dialogue, stressing that industrial peace in the oil and gas sector was critical at a time Nigeria is banking on the Dangote Refinery to boost local refining capacity and reduce dependence on imported petroleum products.