The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has denied signing the communiqué that reportedly ended its recent strike across the country over its dispute with Dangote Refinery, insisting that its core concerns remained unresolved.

The strike, which disrupted operations across the oil and gas sector, was allegedly suspended on Wednesday after government’s intervention.

However, PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, clarified that the document presented during the Abuja meeting was not a binding agreement.

He insisted that the statement released after the talks was merely a communication from the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Dingyadi, who served as the chief mediator.

Osifo stressed that PENGASSAN’s focus was not union dues, as conceived in some quarters, but the reinstatement of sacked workers.

“When we subjected it to our NEC, we had to decide on priorities. Some media houses claimed we were only interested in check-up dues. That is false. What we prioritised was how our members would return to work and provide for their families,” he said.
The union leader maintained that PENGASSAN’s position was clear: “Take the people back to the refinery.”

He added that Dangote Refinery initially resisted reabsorbing the disengaged staff until government pressure forced a compromise.

Osifo also dismissed as damaging and unfounded the refinery’s allegation, which accused the disengaged workers of attempting to sabotage its operations.

He insisted that the union’s fight was not about itself but about protecting Nigerian workers from unfair treatment.

The PENGASSAN president admitted there were still “grey areas” in the resolutions but said the union acted in good faith.
He warned that the strike could resume without notice if Dangote failed to honour the commitments.