NEWS
Dangote Describes PENGASSAN’S Strike as Guerilla Warfare Against Nigerians
. . . 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?
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“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.”
Sahara Group is convening policymakers, industry leaders, investors, academia, and media professionals to advance practical solutions for Africa’s evolving energy landscape.
Scheduled for Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Lagos, this year’s Asharami Square, a flagship thought leadership platform, is themed “Energising Africa’s Future: Legacy, Impact, and Transformation.”
The platform will spotlight the ideas, partnerships, and policy frameworks required to accelerate sustainable energy development across the continent.
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Building on the success of previous editions, Asharami Square 3.0 will examine how collaboration across government, industry, finance, and the media can unlock investment, strengthen infrastructure, and expand access while supporting Africa’s energy transition.
According to Bethel Obioma, Head, Corporate Communications, Sahara Group, the platform reflects Sahara Group’s commitment to driving impactful conversations that translate into real outcomes.
“Africa’s energy future will be shaped by the strength of our partnerships and our ability to turn dialogue into action. Asharami Square continues to provide a platform for convening diverse perspectives, advancing informed discourse, and driving the decisions that will influence policy, investment, and long-term development across the continent.
As we look Beyond XXX, our focus remains on investing in the ideas, partnerships, and platforms that will help shape a sustainable energy future for Africa.”
Also speaking, Ejiro Gray, Director, Governance and Sustainability, Sahara Group, emphasised the importance of grounding energy conversations in context and practical realities.
“Africa’s energy transition must be defined by solutions that reflect our unique realities. Asharami Square plays a critical role in bridging technical expertise and public understanding, ensuring that conversations around energy, sustainability, and development are anchored in evidence, context, and impact.
Through initiatives like Asharami Square, we continue to advance our Beyond XXX philosophy by supporting credible dialogue and strengthening the ecosystems that drive sustainable progress.”
The event will feature a keynote address by Sadiq Wanka, Special Adviser to the President of Nigeria on Power Infrastructure, alongside a high-level panel including Professor Abigail Ndisika, Director, Institute of Continuing Education (ICE), University of Lagos; Temitope George, CEO, Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission (LASERC); Adebiyi Olusolape, Associate Editor, Africa, Argus Media; and Kemi Awodein, Managing Director, Investment Banking, Chapel Hill Denham.
A key highlight of this year’s programme will be the unveiling of the Asharami Square Energy Reporting Fellowship Judging Panel, reinforcing Sahara Group’s commitment to strengthening credible, solutions-focused journalism that deepens public understanding of Africa’s energy transition.
Since its maiden edition in 2024, Asharami Square has facilitated informed dialogue and effective media advocacy to enhance energy transition and sustainability in Africa.
Through the platform and the newly launched Asharami Energy Reporting Fellowship, Sahara Group continues to advance its Beyond XXX vision by investing in the ideas, people, and platforms that will help shape Africa’s energy future, while reinforcing its commitment to bringing energy to life responsibly.
Critical stakeholders are lamenting that fuel importers, licensed by the Nigerian government, are selling imported premium motor spirit (PMS) also known as petrol around N200 per litre, above what local refiner, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals (DPRP) is selling.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) noted that the importers including Matrix, AA Rano, Hayden among others have started pricing imported petrol significantly above the rates offered by the DPRP, raising concerns over the effectiveness of the government’s import licensing policy.
IPMAN’s National Publicity Secretary, Chinedu Ukadike, said independent marketers had expected the import licences to serve as a check on domestic fuel pricing but are now shocked to find out that the policy had failed to deliver the desired outcome.
“The independent marketers of Nigeria have looked at the price volatility, the issue of the import license, the issue of sales of petroleum products and dollar, and holistically I will want to use the opportunity to urge the federal government to look into this thing transparently through NMDPRA, who is the authority of the industry,” he said.
According to him, the recent import licences issued to marketers have not helped reduce fuel prices as anticipated.
“The recent import licenses, which are termed to be used as a guiding principle or a check to domestic petroleum products being refined here in Nigeria, is not yielding the results as was expected by the independent marketers,” he stated.
Ukadike expressed surprise that some importers were reportedly selling imported petrol at about N1,350 per litre, despite lower prices from the DPRP.
“We were shocked, even as I am talking to you now, that the licenses that have been given to AA Rano, Matrix and all the rest of them to be able to import petroleum products are trying to peg the price of petroleum products at N1,350, which is far, far distant from what Dangote has been selling to us,” he said.
He further questioned the quality and pricing of imported products, insisting that the policy was undermining the purpose for which the licences were granted.
“The essence of NNPC or NMDPRA or the federal government opening up this import license is also to checkmate the domestic price of petroleum products, whereas where we find out that these products are being brought into this country, one, their qualities are questionable, two, their prices are higher,” Ukadike added.
The IPMAN spokesman also warned that continued fuel importation at higher prices was increasing pressure on Nigeria’s foreign exchange market, with the naira approaching N1,400 to the US dollar.
He argued that imported petroleum products priced using the international PLATTS benchmark were about 20 percent more expensive than products supplied by the DPRP, making imports less competitive.
Ukadike urged the Federal Government to sustain the sale of crude oil to the Dangote refinery in naira, saying the arrangement would help stabilise domestic fuel prices, reduce demand for foreign exchange and ease pressure on the local currency.
He also cautioned against what he described as the indiscriminate issuance of import licences, warning that such a policy could ultimately lead to higher pump prices for consumers instead of promoting competition.
The Sahara Group Foundation (SGF) has expanded its waste management network and recycling infrastructure in Northern Nigeria with the commissioning of two Sahara Go Recycling hubs in Jigawa and Kaduna States.
This was detailed in a statement from the Foundation on Sunday, which had it that the hubs, located at Gidan Hakimi in Shuwarin Local Government Area of Jigawa State and Asharami Retail Station, Badiko, Kaduna South Local Government Area of Kaduna State, are the Foundation’s 21st and 22nd recycling hubs nationwide and its second and third in Northern Nigeria.
According to a statement, the Jigawa hub was delivered with the support of the King’s Council, Shuwarin, while the Kaduna hub was established in collaboration with Asharami Synergy.
The Foundation said the initiative is designed to convert waste into income-generating opportunities for households. The Director of Sahara Group Foundation, Chidilim Menakaya, said the hubs demonstrate the organisation’s approach to expanding practical sustainability initiatives through partnerships.
“By partnering with institutions and sister companies that understand local needs and realities, we are building a recycling ecosystem that communities can own, sustain, and benefit from over the long term,” she said.
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The commissioning ceremonies were attended by members of the King’s Council, the Jigawa State Commissioner for Environment, Dr Nura Doka, the Chairman of Shuwarin Local Government Area, Abdulhamid Balago, the vice chairman, community leaders and residents in Jigawa, as well as Asharami Synergy’s leadership and the Filling Station Manager in Kaduna.
Speaking at the Jigawa event, Alhaji Bashir Abdullahi, Sarkin Gabas and Hakimin Shuwarin, said the facility addresses a longstanding waste management challenge in the community.
“For years, our people have had no organised way to deal with waste beyond burning or dumping it by the roadside,” he said. “This hub gives our young people and our women a way to earn from something that used to just pollute our surroundings.”
At the Kaduna event, the Filling Station Manager of Asharami Retail Station, Badiko, Aliyu Abdullahi Mabai, said the recycling hub complements the station’s operations.
“We are glad to host this recycling hub on our premises,” he said. “It gives our customers and neighbours a simple way to recycle, and fits with what Asharami Synergy stands for as a responsible business.”
The Foundation also disclosed plans to commission another recycling hub in Kano State in the coming weeks following a recent engagement with the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, who expressed interest in the initiative.
According to the Foundation, Sahara Go Recycling has supported the recycling of more than 1,000 tonnes of materials since its launch and has directly or indirectly impacted more than 2,000 livelihoods nationwide.
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