Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, has cautioned that Nigeria could face international embarrassment if labour disputes disrupt operations at the Dangote Refinery.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Sule described the refinery as a strategic national asset, urging dialogue between the management, labour unions, and government.
“What has happened is that gap in communication. PENGASSAN, as of today, needs to sit down with Dangote clearly,” the governor said. “We can’t afford a situation to run down an institution such as this; in fact, the world will laugh at us.”
He stressed that the refinery goes beyond private ownership, describing it as a facility that has eased Nigeria’s burden on petroleum imports and fertiliser production. “The Dangote refinery in Nigeria is not for Dangote alone. It is for Nigeria,” he said, appealing for calm.
Sule also addressed allegations of mass dismissals, noting that the refinery required manpower to sustain operations. “Dangote did not just wake up to sack all alleged workers. He needs people to run his refinery,” he argued, urging unions not to misinterpret management decisions.
His remarks come amid escalating tensions between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the refinery over claims of unfair labour practices. On Monday, union members barricaded offices of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, and the Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission in Abuja.
The protesters accused Dangote Refinery of sacking more than 800 Nigerian workers and replacing them with foreign staff. In a circular, PENGASSAN directed members to cut crude oil and gas supplies to the refinery, warning that “all control room and field operations must stop without delay.”
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) threw its weight behind the union, with Secretary-General Nuhu Toro declaring: “We stand in full solidarity with the affected workers. No corporation will be allowed to trample on workers’ rights.”
Dangote Refinery, however, denied the allegations, insisting the restructuring was necessary for efficiency and safety. The company maintained that only a small fraction of its 3,000 Nigerian employees were affected. It further dismissed PENGASSAN’s directives as “criminal conduct” capable of jeopardising fuel supply and national revenue.
Later in the day, the National Industrial Court in Abuja intervened. Justice Emmanuel Subilim granted an interim injunction restraining PENGASSAN from embarking on strike action, ruling that preserving industrial peace outweighed the union’s planned disruption. The case was adjourned to 13 October for further hearing.
The Federal Government also stepped in to defuse tensions. Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, confirmed that emergency conciliation talks had begun in Abuja. “The strike declaration must be withdrawn to allow dialogue in a peaceful atmosphere,” the ministry said in a statement.
Despite government intervention, the dispute underscores growing labour unrest in Nigeria’s energy sector, with unions vowing to resist any attempts to undermine workers’ rights.
The post Nasarawa Gov, Sule, warns labour, says dispute with Dangote Refinery could embarrass Nigeria if it shuts down appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from Ripples Nigeria.
