The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has announced the suspension of its nationwide strike following a series of high-level negotiations with government officials and industry stakeholders.
PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, confirmed the decision during a press conference held in Abuja on Tuesday.
He disclosed that the suspension came after a crucial meeting involving the National Security Adviser and the management of the Dangote Refinery, which sought to address the union’s grievances.
Osifo acknowledged that certain “grey areas” in the joint communiqué remained unresolved, as both the government and the refinery’s management were unable to provide full clarification on some contentious issues.
Despite lingering dissatisfaction, the union leader said PENGASSAN chose to halt the industrial action “in good faith” to give room for the implementation of agreed terms.
Osifo said, “Yes, we understand that Dangote does not respect the rules of engagement. Yes, we understand that Dangote wants to prove that he is always bigger than the rules and above the law. Yes, we understand that today, we still have some members working within the confines of the refinery.
“Yes, today, we still have some members working in some companies within the group. Yes, we know or we believe or we suspect that some of the things that the government has asked Dangote to do, that he’s going to slip in it and won’t do them just as he did it to NUPENG. We have our suspicion.
“We truly don’t believe that he will keep to his own side of the bargain. We truly don’t believe that he will live up to expectations. We don’t believe. But because we have respect for institutions, because we have respect for government, because we have respect for processes, and because we have respect for procedures and because of those in government who sat up till almost 4 a.m. this morning to try and resolve this subject, the NEC has decided to listen to them. Even with our mutual suspicion that Dangote will not do what is right, even with our misgivings that the document did not clearly represent what we have asked for.
“But even with the shortcomings in the document, the National Executive Council of PENGGASAN has decided that they will go ahead to take the moral high ground, that we will go ahead to prove to the government that we are extremely patriotic people, that love this country more than any single individual, that we will go ahead to suspend the industrial action that we started on Sunday, 28th day of September 2025.”
PENGASSAN and NUPENG are completely useless bodies to the common man on the streets, Dangote has been able to break their monopoly and they are looking for ways to bring Dangote down. By God’s grace, Dangote has come to stay and make Nigerians their lives better