In a show of unprecedented unity across Nigeria’s diverse ethnic landscapes, prominent groups from the North, South-West, South-East and South-South have thrown their weight behind the Dangote Refinery’s recent decision to lay off over 800 employees amid escalating labour tensions.

The groups under the aegis of One Nigeria Movement (ONM) held emergency meetings in Kaduna, Lagos, Enugu and Port Harcourt respectively to accuse the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) of orchestrating a sinister plot to infiltrate and corrupt the operations of Africa’s largest private refinery.

The pan-Nigerian solidarity comes as PENGASSAN’s nationwide strike, declared on September 28, cripples crude and gas supplies to the facility, threatening fuel scarcity and power outages just as the nation edges toward energy self-sufficiency under President Bola Tinubu’s reforms.

The crisis, which has gripped the nation’s oil and gas sector for weeks, erupted when Dangote Refinery dismissed the workers on September 25, citing “repeated acts of sabotage” during an ongoing reorganization to repair a key gasoline unit shut down in late August.

PENGASSAN and NUPENG, which had earlier secured a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on September 9 allowing voluntary unionization after NUPENG’s initial strike threat, claim the layoffs were punitive retaliation for over 90% of staff joining their ranks, allegedly replacing Nigerians with over 2,000 Indian expatriates in violation of labor laws and International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions.

Dangote Industries, however, insists the affected employees numbered far fewer than reported and were let go to safeguard operational integrity, emphasizing that over 3,000 Nigerians remain in its workforce and that union membership is a protected individual right, not a prerequisite for employment.

Federal mediation efforts by the Ministry of Labour and Employment stalled on Monday, with talks set to resume today amid fears of broader economic fallout, including halted truck loadings and potential blackouts from thermal plant shutdowns.

In Kaduna, the Arewa Youth Forum decried the unions’ actions as a “deliberate assault on Northern economic aspirations.”

Led by convener Malam Idris Suleiman, the AYF framed the layoffs as a “defensive necessity to block infiltrators intent on reviving subsidy-era corruption in a private enterprise.”

Suleiman accused PENGASSAN and NUPENG of exploiting the MoU to “embed racketeers who siphoned billions from public refineries through ghost contracts,” warning that their strike threatens the refinery’s role in stabilizing the naira and curbing inflation, now below 20% for the first time in years.

“The Arewa Youth Forum unequivocally supports Dangote Refinery’s layoffs to purge saboteurs, safeguarding Northern hopes for economic revival.

“We accuse PENGASSAN and NUPENG of scheming to implant corrupt syndicates into this private enterprise, echoing their subsidy thefts, and urge Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi to launch an EFCC probe into their financial dealings from 2015 to 2025 to expose illicit gains.”

In Ibadan, the Oduduwa Peace Advocates (OPA) endorsed Dangote Refinery’s sackings as a “bold stand against labor-induced corruption.”

The high-level caucus, attended by over 120 Yoruba leaders, condemned PENGASSAN’s strike escalation on Monday, which halted field operations, as an “attack on Yoruba entrepreneurial spirit.”

OPA spokesperson Chief Tunde Afolabi highlighted the refinery’s role in strengthening Lagos-Ibadan trade corridors, now at risk from union-driven fuel shortages that could spike transport costs by 30%.

OPA traced the dispute to deliberate sabotage linked to the August gasoline unit failure, costing $100 million in repairs, and accused unions of using the MoU to “plant cronies mirroring NNPCL’s $20 billion subsidy heists.”

Afolabi praised Bola Tinubu’s deregulation, which has attracted $50 billion in upstream investments, and dismissed PENGASSAN’s claims of anti-Nigerian layoffs as “propaganda to mask their greed,” noting the refinery’s 3,000-strong Nigerian workforce.

The group urged Yoruba youth to rally behind Dangote, framing it as a symbol of regional innovation.

“These unions, silent during fuel queues that crippled Yoruba traders, now feign advocacy to line their pockets,” Afolabi declared.

Meanwhile the Igbo Young Professionals Forum (IYPF) assembled in Enugu for a stakeholder summit, endorsing Dangote Refinery’s layoffs as a “preemptive strike against corruption’s spread into Nigeria’s private sector.”

The forum, drawing tech entrepreneurs and youth leaders, slammed PENGASSAN and NUPENG’s strike as a “ploy to sabotage Igbo economic aspirations” by disrupting fuel supplies vital to Aba’s markets.

IYPF President Chidi Okonkwo tied the refinery’s stability to the potential for 100,000 Eastern jobs, now threatened by union actions risking the Q4 2024 N3.42 trillion trade surplus.

IYPF dissected the unions’ tactics, linking the sackings to sabotage behind the August unit failure and accusing PENGASSAN and NUPENG of exploiting the MoU to “embed agents who thrived on subsidy scams.”

Okonkwo criticized their opaque finances, including unaccounted dues from IOCs, and connected the crisis to PIA-driven gains like 1.4 billion barrels unlocked via field plans.

The group mobilized diaspora networks to pressure global labor bodies, arguing that PENGASSAN’s “prayer vigil” strikes violate voluntary unionization laws.

“Igbo ingenuity thrives on fairness; we stand with Dangote to block saboteurs prioritizing profit over progress,” Okonkwo affirmed, urging federal action.

On its part, the Niger Delta Peace and Development Assembly (NDPDA) convened a critical town hall in Port Harcourt, voicing robust support for Dangote Refinery’s sackings as a “stand against union sabotage threatening the Niger Delta’s economic lifeline.” The gathering, attended by oil community leaders and environmental activists, condemned PENGASSAN and NUPENG’s strike as a “betrayal of the region’s resource control struggle,” risking fuel shortages that could cripple Port Harcourt’s industrial zones.

NDPDA convener Mrs. Ebiere Okorie linked the refinery’s stability to equitable wealth distribution under the PIA, vital for fishing and trading communities.

NDPDA highlighted how the layoffs countered sabotage linked to the August shutdown, accusing unions of exploiting the MoU to “embed corrupt agents who profited from subsidy scams.”

“These unions ignored Niger Delta suffering under fuel scarcity while pocketing illicit gains; now they threaten our hope for self-sufficiency,” Okorie declared.

The assembly urged Niger Delta youth to reject union protests, framing Dangote as a partner in local refining capacity.

“Our region has bled from NNPCL’s failures; we won’t let PENGASSAN turn Dangote into another looting ground,” Okorie asserted, calling for a federal injunction to halt the strike’s “economic terrorism” before mediation resumes.