City, Nigeria – Na wah! The matter don hot as Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals management dey clash with the Petroleum Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) over wetin dem dey call mass sack of workers. E be like say wahala no dey finish for this refinery wey get plenty billions for pocket.
On September 25, 2025, Dangote management come out yan say dem don fire plenty workers because of ‘internal sabotage’. Dem accuse some staff of sabotaging the refinery. (Chai! Wetin person no go hear for this life?) But dem workers wey join PENGASSAN no gree takeam lightly. Dem say na victimization because na after dem join union that this mass sack begin happen.
PENGASSAN branch chairman, Abdullahi Muhammed and secretary, Eseoghene Choice, come drop statement wey talk say dem dey receive termination letters for their email just like that. The union claim say these e-letters no make sense as the workers just organize themselves to fight for wetin be their rights.
According to PENGASSAN, na after dem submit the list of union members to management, dem come dey verify if people join the union. Wetin dem find out? Plenty workers don confirm say dem join. Na there wahala start be that. All join, when dem manage give notice say buses wey dey carry workers don dey under maintenance, so make dem dey spend una own money to take reach work.
But e get even more wahala wey come up. The union complain say members wey join PENGASSAN dey block from entering the refinery at night. Na only expatriates dey enter while naija workers dey suffer. PENGASSAN call am ‘direct act of intimidation.’ Na so dem dey trap us since? Omo, this one no go jam well o!
As all these drama dey unfold, Dangote refinery come forward with their own gist. Dem say na safety issues dey cause dem to sack workers. The Chief General Manager, Femi Adekunle, come explain say ‘we dey reorganize because security dey threatened by repeated sabotage from some workers.’ (E be like say some workers really dey play pranks with serious matters like this.)
Dem don tell affected staff make dem return company property before dem go fit receive any benefits. E resemble say those wey dey joke with sabotage fit collect letter of termination faster than dem expect.
But no be everybody gree with Dangote’s version. Some insiders dey insist say na just reorganization and no be real sack. Dem believe sey if you no dey involved for any sabotage, you no go fear. (Na true be that o! But how we go know whether to believe the story or not?)
While this gbege dey carry front, the refinery still dey struggle handle labor complaints wey don build up since 2024. Na their first year production, and look as if wahala dey come from left, right, and center. PENGASSAN don already raise alarm about unfair labor practices, while other marketers dey complain about pricing matters. E no go make sense if Dangote think say everything go dey smooth without any serious wahala for ground.
Finally, we don see say this matter no go end anytime soon as workers dey ready to stand their ground for wetin dem believe is right. This na one serious saga wey we go dey follow sharp-sharp, because e go still dey affect the oil market and our pocket.
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