The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has criticized the Vice President Kashim Shettima over his comments condemning its strike action against the Dangote refinery.
Last week, the PENGASSAN shut down key oil and gas facilities in protest against the alleged dismissal of 800 workers by the Dangote refinery for joining the union.
The refinery, however, denied the claim, insisting it only dismissed a few employees accused of sabotaging operations as part of its internal restructuring.
The strike caused disruptions in oil and gas production and affected electricity generation nationwide.
After government intervention, PENGASSAN suspended the strike on Wednesday when the Dangote Group agreed to redeploy the affected workers to other business division.
Despite the resolution, fuel queues persisted in some cities, and the cost of cooking gas remained high, selling for around N2,000 per kilogram in Lagos and other areas.
Speaking at the opening of the 2025 Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja on Monday, Shettima described Aliko Dangote as more than an individual, calling him a major institution in Nigeria’s economy.
The vice president warned that no group or association should hold the nation to ransom, saying Nigeria is greater than PENGASSAN.
In its response, PENGASSAN’s National President, Festus Osifo, stated that Nigeria is also greater than Dangote and the Presidency.
He reaffirmed the union’s duty to defend the rights of its members, saying it would not hesitate to take similar action if its members were targeted again.
“Of course the nation is bigger than PENGASSAN, the way it’s bigger than Dangote and the Presidency.
‘We have a mandate to protect the jobs of our members, that we will discharge whenever the need arises,” Osifo said.
Osifo, who is also the president of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), warned that if a similar situation arises, the union’s response would be the same.
“Should this same event occur again tomorrow, our approach will be exactly the same,” he stated.
When asked about suggestions that the government could dissolve PENGASSAN due to its impact on energy security, he responded, “Does the law prohibit workers’ right to strike?”
Echoing his position, PENGASSAN’s General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, added, “Is Nigeria not bigger than any individual or institution?”
This comes as some individuals staged a protest in Kaduna, accusing PENGASSAN of attempting to sabotage the Dangote refinery.
KanyiDaily recalls that the NNPC also linked the high rise in cooking gas prices to the PENGASSAN strike, which had slowed loading and distribution across the country.
COURTESY: newsvista.com.ng
