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Dangote Describes PENGASSAN’S Strike as Guerilla Warfare Against Nigerians

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. . . Challenges PENGASSAN, NUPENG to Publish Audited Accounts

The management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has described the declaration of strike by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN) as a bully and guerrilla tactics meant to hold Nigerians to ransom for selfish agenda.

Dismissing as tissues of lies, the claims of mass sack made the PENGASSAN in its statement on Saturday night upon which it premised the call on its members to embark on strike, Dangote Refinery said what the Association has embarked upon is tantamount to act of terror.

These were detailed in a statement by the company during the weekend made available to Biztellers.

While highlighting the possible consequences of the strike on hapless Nigerians, Dangote Refinery management in a statement titled “Lawless PENGASSAN: Its lies and Terror Tactics”, said PENGASSAN could not justify its decision to hold over 230 million Nigerians to ransom by cutting off their essential supplies of petroleum products–kerosene, cooking gas, petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, amongst others.

It stated that the resolve by the Association to bully tactics could not justify the threat to the lives of persons, including infants and aged persons, who need the petroleum products and attendant necessities for their life-support systems in the hospitals, in care homes, and the Nigerian workers whose lives and livelihood are to be put at risk with the strike.

The Dangote Refinery management, therefore, called on the Federal Government and its agencies, as well as all Nigerians, to stare down the PENGASSAN and put a stop to the machinations and blackmail tactics of its oligarchs and sponsors.

“Assuming that there are Dangote Refinery workers or ex-workers who are affronted by or aggrieved over the organization’s decisions, they surely have remedies that they can pursue in accordance with their employment contracts. PENGASSAN should not and must not be allowed to incite those employees or ex-employees neither should it interpose itself between them and Dangote Refinery. PENGASSAN’s terrorist tactics must be defeated by the Nigerian people. It is in our interest to so do.

“PENGASSAN must not be allowed to persist in its bullying tactics against Nigerians. The Nigerian security and law enforcement agencies must provide security for the Nigerian workers in the oil and gas sector – all the facilities, installations and offices – so they can continue to provide their essential services to the Nigerian nation without let or hindrance by or from PENGASSAN and its co-travelers”, the refinery management stated.

The statement read “In our release, we pointed out that “over 3,000 Nigerians continue to work actively in our Petroleum Refinery” and that “we continue to recruit Nigerian talent through our various graduate trainee programs and experienced hire recruitment process”.

It also averred that the PENGASSAN has not joined issues with Dangote Refinery on these factual assertions; rather it continues to peddle the falsehood that Dangote Refinery has sacked “all Nigerians working in the refinery and” presumably hired “over 2,000 Indians” to replace them. That is complete falsehood. We also stated in the release that there is an “on-going reorganization within” the Dangote Refinery which has resulted in the discharge of “a very small number of staff” and that the “exercise is not arbitrary” but is being carried out “in the best interest of the Refinery”.

“These facts have not been rebutted by PENGASSAN neither has its oligarchs attempted to meet with Dangote Refinery to verify the truth. Rather it continues to peddle the falsehood that we have sacked “over 800 members” of PENGASSAN “for joining PENGASSAN”.

Assuming that was a fact, which it is not, would that justify the terror and guerrilla tactics that the Association is now unleashing on Nigerians? Would that justify holding over 230 million Nigerians to ransom by cutting off their essential supplies of petroleum products – kerosene, cooking gas, petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, amongst others? Would that justify threatening the lives of persons, including infants and aged persons, who need the petroleum products and attendant necessities for their life-support systems in the hospitals, in care homes, etc. Would that justify the bully tactics of putting the livelihoods of Nigerian workers – the very people that the PENGASSAN falsely professes to represent – and their extended dependents, at risk? And when we talk about Nigerian workers whose livelihoods are at risk, this goes well beyond the workers of Dangote Refinery and encompasses all Nigerian workers, including all the PENGASSAN members “across all offices, companies, institutions, and agencies” who are being commanded by the Association’s fiat, to down tools simply because the oligarchs within the Association believe it is fanciful to cut their noses to spite Dangote Refinery.

“This is a bully tactic that the Nigerian State and people must not succumb to or allow. As the Association rightly pointed out in its Release, “no man or company” – and we must add, or Association, be it PENGASSAN or any other – “no matter how highly placed” or entrenched, “is above the law and cannot be called to order by the national institutions”.

The oligarchs in the PENGASSAN have proved themselves to be terrorists and have turned the Association into a bully organization. It is time they be called to order. Indeed, over time, the Association has consistently proved itself as serving interests other than those of Nigerians and Nigerian workers, and a few illustrative examples would suffice:

“When in 2007 the Federal Government sold its moribund refineries in Port Harcourt and Kaduna to Blue Star Consortium led by Dangote Group at US$750million, it was this same bully Association, PENGASSAN and its co-travelers one of whom is the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (“NUPENG”) that vociferously sabotaged the process. It is now obvious to everyone that the FGN’s decision at the time was the right one and that PENGASSAN and NUPENG ignominiously wrote their names on the wrong pages of history. (See Annexures 1 and 2)

“More recently, PENGASSAN with its co-travelers loudly celebrated the purported rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery. Nigerians now know that the purported rehabilitation was a ruse and that PENGASSAN was knowingly celebrating a scam on Nigerians. PENGASSAN has also been in the forefront of opposing the amendment of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021 in a manner that would allow the Federal Government to restructure the equity holdings of some of its upstream Joint Venture assets and thereby provide much-needed liquidity for the Government while injecting private-sector funding and expertise for the management of the assets. This is reminiscent of the inglorious role of the same PENGASSAN and its allies in aborting the sale of the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries in 2007.

“Dangote Group is the highest employer of labour in Nigeria and the highest contributor to the tax revenues of Nigeria and its sub-nationals. What comparable social responsibility has PENGASSAN, with its billions of Naira in monthly check-off dues and subscriptions, lived up to? Can it publish publicly its account for the last 10 years and list out its corporate responsibility activities within that timeframe?

ALSO READ: BREAKING: Dangote Cries Out Against PENGASSAN’s Supply Cut Directive

“Dangote Refinery is a national asset that must be protected by the Nigerian State and its people. It must not be threatened by the PENGASSAN oligarchs and their co-travelers. The threatened action by the Association against Dangote Refinery threatens the economic recovery and energy security of Nigeria. We must not allow the Association and its co-conspirators to sabotage and imperil the economic recovery and energy security of the country. The economic recovery of Nigeria must not be derailed and/or reversed by PENGASSAN. To paraphrase the perverted and abused sayings of the Association, no Association, not even PENGASSAN, “is bigger than our country”. “An injury” to Dangote Refinery by PENGASSAN, “is an injury to all”.

“We conclude by reasserting the opacity and lack of transparency in the operations of PENGASSAN as evident in its failure or inability to publish its audited accounts over the years. Why has the watchdog which the Association and its partner, NUPENG, profess to be, failed these several years to publish their respective audited accounts and be accountable to their members and the Nigerian people?

“We challenge both PENGASSAN and NUPENG to publish for the Nigerian public, within 7 (seven) days of this publication, their respective 10 (ten) years audited accounts, failing which they should permanently bury their heads in shame.”

International News

WHO Releases Alarming Casualty Figures From US‑Israel‑Iran Conflict

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The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a disturbing update on the escalating conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, revealing that thousands of people have been killed or injured in just under two weeks.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that health systems across the Middle East are under “immense strain” and are at risk of complete collapse if the crisis continues.

SEE MORE: US-Israel-Iran War: Day Four Updates from the Middle East

According to WHO reports, Iran has suffered over 1,300 deaths and around 9,000 injuries, while Lebanon has recorded at least 570 deaths and approximately 1,400 injuries.

In Israel, at least 15 people have died and more than 2,100 have been injured since hostilities escalated.

The conflict began on February 28, following a massive joint strike by US and Israeli forces that targeted top Iranian officials, including the country’s Supreme Leader.

The violence has since spread across the region, with retaliatory attacks targeting Israeli sites and US military bases in neighboring countries.

The humanitarian impact is severe. Over 100,000 Iranians and up to 700,000 Lebanese citizens have been displaced, many living in overcrowded conditions with limited access to clean water, sanitation, and medical care.

The WHO warns that these conditions put women and children at particular risk of disease outbreaks.

The organization also highlighted a growing trend of attacks on healthcare infrastructure, reporting dozens of strikes on hospitals and medical facilities across Iran and Lebanon.

Such attacks have not only resulted in deaths but also deprived entire communities of critical medical care when they need it most.

Tedros emphasized the urgent need for all parties to respect international law and protect civilians, calling for unimpeded humanitarian access and immediate measures to prevent the collapse of fragile health systems.

With the conflict continuing to escalate, the WHO has stressed that immediate action is required to protect lives, ensure medical support reaches affected populations, and prevent the humanitarian crisis from worsening.

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2026 Poll: Osun Ndigbo Backs Adeleke’s Second-Term Bid

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Ahead of the 2026 governorship election, the Ndigbo community across the local government areas of Osun State has declared its support for the second-term bid of Governor Ademola Adeleke.

A government house statement in Osogbo on Wednesday night has it that ndi Igbo cited his administration’s developmental strides across the state for their decision.

The endorsement was made during a courtesy visit by leaders of the Igbo community in Osun to the governor at the Government House in Osogbo, where they commended his leadership and commitment to inclusive governance.

ALSO READ: Adeleke on Why he Deserves Second Term

Speaking on behalf of the association, President-General of the Ndigbo in the state, Chief John Dike, praised the governor for the infrastructural and social development projects being carried out across the state.

He particularly commended the governor for appointing some members of the Igbo community as Senior Special Assistants, describing the gesture as a sign of recognition and inclusion of the community in the affairs of the state.

Chief Dike, however, appealed for further inclusiveness, requesting that more Igbo indigenes be considered for appointments into the state cabinet and other employment opportunities within the government.

He also urged the state government to allocate land for the construction of a modern secretariat for the Igbo community and grant approval for an endorsement rally in support of the governor’s re-election bid.

In addition, the Ndigbo leader sought assistance for Igbo farmers operating within the state, while assuring the governor of the community’s unwavering support for his administration and second-term ambition. Members of the delegation also presented campaign caps to the governor as a symbol of their solidarity.

Responding, Governor Adeleke expressed appreciation for the endorsement, noting that the Igbo community has continued to contribute positively to the social and economic development of the state.

He assured them that his administration would continue to promote their welfare and support their progress, while granting the requests presented during the visit.

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Adeleke on Why he Deserves Second Term

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Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, has declared that his administration’s record of performance and fulfilment of electoral promises justifies a second term in office.

A government house statement in Osogbo on Wednesday has it that the governor made the declaration while hosting a delegation of the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria (ADS), Osun State Council, during a courtesy visit to the Government House, Osogbo.

ALSO READ: CNG: Tinubu Orders Deployment of 100,000 Kits in Three Weeks

It was gathered that the delegation was led by the National Vice President of the society, Asiwaju Justice Adeigbe (Rtd), alongside the Chairman of the Osun State chapter, Chief Daud Oladapo.

Speaking on behalf of the delegation, the State Secretary of the society, Dr Afeez Akande, praised the Governor’s performance and pledged the support of the organisation for the continuity of the administration.

“We have been following what you are doing and your track records. You are wonderful and you are marvelous in our eyes. The monumental works you have been doing in Osun make it look like we have never had a Governor like this before,” Dr Akande said.

He noted that the administration’s projects are known for timely delivery and strategic impact on the lives of residents.

“We have identified that once you embark on projects, they are time-bound. It shows genuine administrative acumen, love for the state and love for the people,” he added.

Dr Akande also cited infrastructural developments, specifically the ongoing dualisation of roads, notably that of Iwo as an example of the Governor’s vision-driven leadership.

“That road project has helped to boost economic activities in the area. Such development can only come from someone with vision who follows through with implementation. We appreciate what you are doing and we are resolved to support the continuity,” he said.

Responding, Governor Adeleke thanked the delegation for the visit and reaffirmed his commitment to people-centred governance.

“Today marks the starting point of campaigning for the August 15, 2026 governorship election. We need your prayers and support for a free and fair election through which the will of the people will prevail,” the Governor said.

Governor Adeleke also unveiled an upgraded Five-Point Agenda that will drive his re-election campaign.

“Our reloaded Five-Point Agenda will focus on integrated youth, women and workers’ welfare and empowerment; infrastructure consolidation for citizens’ social and economic wellbeing; agro-industrial expansion for human development and collective prosperity; affordable and qualitative health and education access; and an improved and secured business environment for job creation,” the Governor stated.

Explaining why he deserves a second term, the Governor pointed to the administration’s record across several sectors.

“When the opposition asked whether I deserve to be re-elected, I told them yes based on my performance in this first term in office,” the Governor said.

“I deserve re-election because of what our administration has delivered for the people of Osun. We have empowered the cooperative movement with almost four billion naira, strengthened community development associations with grassroots health and infrastructure projects, and implemented the Imole Medical Outreach that has benefited almost eighty thousand residents.”

He added that the administration has also revived agriculture and rural development across the state.

“We revived the cocoa revolution through aggressive seedling distribution and new farmers’ initiatives, acquired brand new tractors now serving farmers across the state, and implemented thousands of local projects through integrated rural development under the O-RAMP programme,” he said.

Governor Adeleke further highlighted achievements in governance, infrastructure and economic management.

“We introduced a 45-day window for the acquisition of Certificates of Occupancy, revived the Osun Free Trade Zone with active investors, digitised tax and revenue collection, and implemented the SIFMIS payroll application to ensure transparency in the management of public funds,” he stated.

The Governor also cited major achievements in infrastructure and social services.

“We have constructed over 350 kilometres of roads, developed three major flyover bridges, revived six moribund waterworks, drilled 332 boreholes across wards, rehabilitated schools and health centres, and paid inherited half salaries and almost one hundred billion naira in pension debts,” he added.

Governor Adeleke assured the people of Osun that his administration will continue to deliver inclusive governance and sustainable development if re-elected.

“My promise to the people of Osun is that now and when we are re-elected, we will continue to run an inclusive and forward-looking government that keeps the people at the centre of our programmes and policies,” he said.

Other dignitaries, and political functionaries present included the Deputy Governor of Osun State, Prince Kola Adewusi, and the Head of Service, Elder Ayanleye Aina.

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