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Face -Off: Nigerians Back Dangote Against PENGASSAN

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Many Nigerians have opposed the planned disruption of fuel supply nationwide following the strike declared by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) in protest against the dismissal of some employees at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

 

This is just as the federal government has invited the leadership of PENGASSAN and the management of Dangote Refinery to an emergency meeting in Abuja today over their dispute.

The Labour ministry’s spokesperson, Patience Onuobia, in a statement yesterday, said the Minister of Labour and Employment, Maigari Dingyadi, appealed to the union to reconsider its planned strike, warning that it could have far-reaching consequences for the economy and national security.

“A strike will not only lead to heavy revenue losses by the country but also cause more hardship and difficulties for Nigerians. Consequently, it will have adverse impacts both on economic stability and national security.”

The rift between PENGASSAN and Dangote Refinery escalated over the weekend after the union accused the company of terminating the employment of hundreds of staff members who had joined the association.

The union claimed that the workers were being victimised for exercising their constitutional right to freedom of association and alleged that the refinery had replaced some of the dismissed staff with expatriates.

PENGASSAN, in a circular signed by its General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, after an emergency National Executive Council meeting on Saturday, directed members in all oil and gas installations nationwide to down tools from Sunday, September 28.

Okugbawa said last night , that the strike and the meeting by the FG, with the union would be part of the meeting on Monday but added that the association had made its position known.

Meanwhile,many citizens took to the social media yesterday to express their views on the dispute.

Ben Owoleke, a power sector expert, on X said PENGASAN does not have any gas. “The gas belongs to Nigerian Government, those union guys are just employees working for Nigeria to earn their wages. Only Nigerian government should stop gas supply to Dangote Refinery. Two, the gas supply to Dangote is not free. Whether sold by NNPCL or other oil companies, Dangote pays for it. Three, it is from the payment made by Dangote Refinery that Nigeria and other coys earn some of their revenues which they use as allocation for salaries across states and LGs, also to pay salaries including the salaries of some of these saboteurs and of course, to do infrastructure and other services!”

On X (formerly Twitter), @MrGhata said: “The best way to solve and dispute is by dialogue not by compounding the problem. PENGASSAN should look at the bigger picture, not their pockets.”

@TomolaGroup: “The refinery drama in Nigeria keeps exposing the same problem. half-truths, blame games, and no accountability. Until transparency is prioritized, ordinary Nigerians will keep paying the price.”

@IamSpeacial_Kay: “We shouted monopoly would be a problem, now it’s playing out. When only one refinery holds all the power, the people have no choice but to suffer. This is the ugly face of monopoly when one man controls the market, the people pay the price.”

@thekanoblog: “Nigerians must open their eyes! Dangote’s refinery was supposed to bring relief, yet every time the people are close to breathing, forces within the government and their allies rise to frustrate it.

“Why is it that whenever progress comes for the masses, the powerful try to crush it? This is not about Dangote alone – this is about the deliberate punishment of ordinary Nigerians. We must demand accountability, because true leadership should protect the people, not sabotage their hope.”

@Sizzymirah: “Stop shifting post @DangoteGroup

You unlawfully sacked your staff for joining union. Didn’t you think of a Dialogue before taking such steps? Just stop this victim card you’re trying to play here. You think O&G is like other industries you can throw people out with poor welfare?”

On Facebook, Sajos Yusuf Illiya, said: “This problem would have long been solved if PENGASSAN were forward thinking. That much they enjoy from monopoly has been broken and they are refusing to evolve.”

Dagunduro Samuel: “Why would Dangote dismiss and sack the Nigerians’ staff simply for wanting to join a union? Don’t they have the right to belong to a union under Nigeria law?”

Taofik Tafa: “PENGASSAN, NUPENG, DAPPMAN, etc shouldn’t be allowed to ruin Dangote refinery the way they’ve ruined NNPC refineries.”

Jabes Simon: “They have a hiding motive towards this issue. Dangote can relocate to Iceland and live for 100 years without an issue. Why didn’t they shut down when ASUU was on strike? They’re not after Nigerians but rather their pockets.”

The Concerned Nigerian Consumers Forum have also asked the federal government and the Department of State Services to investigate the alleged attempts by the PENGASSAN to sabotage the Dangote Refinery.

In a statement yesterday by Olabisi Taiwo and Justice Alikor, president and secretary, respectively, the forum expressed concern over PENGASSAN’s threat to picket the refinery because of the alleged mass sackings.

It warned that such action could plunge the country back into scarcity of petroleum products, trigger economic instability and cause national embarrassment.

“Who benefits if the refinery fails?” the forum asked. “Certainly not the Nigerian people, but fuel importers and rent seekers who profit from chaos,” the forum stated.

“The government must send a clear message: industrial blackmail will not be tolerated.

“Nigerians have suffered enough from fuel queues and economic hardship. The Dangote refinery is our best chance at energy independence, and we must not allow vested interests to destroy it,” the forum said.

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ADRON Homes Inaugurates New Ahpora Executives At Treasure Park & Gardens Phase 2 Extension

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Adron Homes has inaugurated new executives of the Adron Homes Property Owners and Residents Associations (AHPORA) for the Uptown and Downtown zones of Treasure Park & Gardens Phase 2 Extension, as part of efforts to strengthen the relationship between the company and residents.

 

The inauguration gives residents a platform to raise concerns, share ideas and engage with Adron Homes through elected representatives. The executives are expected to help monitor estate-related matters and ensure that issues affecting property owners receive attention.

 

L-R: Mrs. Augustina Chuks, Chairman uptown zone, Mrs Adenike Ajobo, MD Adron Homes, Sir, Aare Adetola EmmanuelKing KOF, Chairman/GCEO Adron Homes Properties Limited, HRH, Oba Peter Oluwole Ogunbayo, Otete III, Odemo of Isara Remo, Alhaji Akeem Segun Koletowo, Chairman, Downtown Zone at the inauguration and swearing in ceremony of Adron Homes & Property Owners & Residents Association (AHPORA) EXCOs of Treasure Park & Gardens Phase 2, Downtown Estate, Shimawa Ogun State, on Sunday, 18th October, 2026 held at the Event Ground of the Estate.

 

The event, hosted by Adron Homes on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at Downtown Estate, Simawa, had) HRH Alaiyeluwa Oba Peter Oluwole Ogunbayo (Otete III, Odemo of Isara Remo, as Royal Father of the Day.

In the Uptown Zone, Mrs. Augustina Chuks was inaugurated as Chairman, while Mrs. Ogunba-Ojo Hutawa Aderonke emerged as Secretary General. Hon. Mrs. Wale Fayemi and Mr. Lateef Eniola were represented at the ceremony by their daughter and wife, respectively. For the Downtown Zone, Alhaji Akeem Segun Koletowo was inaugurated as Chairman, with Mr. Alex O. Ohanwadi as Secretary General.

The Chairman/GCEO of Adron Group, Sir Aare Adetola Emmanuel King KOF, said the ceremony marked a new stage in the life of the estate, which residents had turned from unoccupied land into a thriving neighbourhood. “We are not simply inaugurating executives. We are acknowledging that Downtown Estate has reached another stage in its journey,” he said.

 

 

He explained that while a developer provides the framework, infrastructure and vision, the people who live in an estate ultimately determine its character. Residents and property owners, he said, are “not spectators” to its development. “You are the story,” he added.

Sir Aare Adetola charged the new executives to see their offices as a responsibility owed first to residents. He urged them to be leaders who “listen without losing direction, speak without creating unnecessary conflict, and disagree without destroying relationships.”

He described the estate’s reputation, peace, orderliness and the relationships among residents as assets that affect the value of everyone’s investment. “The success of an estate cannot be manufactured from the developer’s office. There must also be ownership from the people who live here,” he said.

Also speaking, the Managing Director, Adenike Ajobo, described the challenges Adron Homes has faced in the course of its growth as part of the process of building a stronger organisation.

She described Adron Homes as an unstoppable movement and called on homeowners, property investors and residents to unite under AHPORA. “The only thing we are clamouring for, agitating for, and campaigning for is for all of us to come together to grow our estate together through AHPORA,” she stated.

The new executives will be a link between residents and Adron Homes, communicating residents’ needs, following up on estate-related concerns and promoting accountability in matters concerning the estate.

A couple of home owners who pleaded anonymity, were recognised for their contributions to the security and upkeep of the estate.They donated a motorcycle and security gadgets for use by the estate’s security officials, to support their movement and strengthen patrols. They also supported the painting of the estate’s gate post.

Beyond the motorcycle and security gadgets, They also supported the estate’s security men, providing them foodstuff and additional security gadgets. Reflecting the important role residents can play in keeping an estate safe and well maintained.

Sir Aare Adetola expressed hope that when another set of leaders eventually takes their place, they will be able to say of the current executives: “They left Downtown better than they met it.”

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FG To Introduce Fuel Tax When Incomes Improve

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The Federal Government said it would introduce a fuel tax when the economy stabilises, and Nigerians’ incomes improve sufficiently to accommodate the additional cost.

 

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, who made the disclosure, said revenue from the levy would support road infrastructure and the development of a fuel reserve to cushion future price shocks, stressing that implementation would require a ministerial order published in the Official Gazette.

Oyedele spoke during an interview on the sidelines of the 2026 International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok, Thailand.

His comments come against the background of previous resistance by organised labour and business groups to the five per cent surcharge on chargeable fossil fuel products provided for in Nigeria’s tax framework. Its commencement remains subject to an order by the finance minister.

He said introducing the tax while petrol was subsidised would have been counterproductive because the government would effectively have paid the charge itself. Imposing it immediately after subsidy removal, he added, would have placed additional pressure on Nigerians.

“The objective should be that instead of trying to suppress prices, which hasn’t worked for us, it hasn’t worked for any country in the world, not one. Instead of trying to suppress prices, think about how to grow income faster than prices rise.

“That’s how you bring prosperity and grow the middle class and that is exactly what we are doing as led by Mr. President himself.

“At the appropriate time, when the economy has stabilised and income level will be able to accommodate it, those taxes will come. Not because we want to impose taxes,” Oyedele said.

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Trade Fair Board Backs NAFDAC Crackdown

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The Lagos International Trade Fair Complex Management Board (LITFCMB) has condemned the use of its facility for the production of counterfeit products and other illegal activities, pledging to work with regulatory and law enforcement agencies to rid the complex of such practice

 

The board also commended the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for its recent enforcement operation, which led to the arrest of two persons allegedly linked to the illegal revalidation of expired drinks and the production of counterfeit consumables within the complex.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of LITFCMB, Veronica Safiya Ndanusa, said the activities were contrary to the board’s commitment to promoting legitimate trade and ethical business practices.

She disclosed that relevant authorities had commenced investigations to establish the facts surrounding the incident and identify measures to prevent a recurrence.

Ndanusa warned that individuals and businesses found culpable of engaging in activities that endanger public health or undermine the integrity of local manufacturing would face the full weight of the law.

“As a body rooted in the principles of ethical business practices, transparency and genuine trade, we strongly condemn any activity that threatens public safety or brings the reputation of the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex Management Board into disrepute,” she said.

“Our facility exists to provide a conducive environment for legitimate businesses to thrive, not to serve as a breeding ground for the production or distribution of counterfeit and substandard products.”

The board chief assured members of the public that the management would collaborate with relevant regulatory and law enforcement agencies to ensure that the complex remained free of illegal activities.

She also urged traders and business operators within the facility to comply with established standards, stressing that the pursuit of profit must never come at the expense of consumers’ health and safety.

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