Dangote refinery thanks Tinubu for intervention in sabotage plot

Dangote Petroleum Refinery has formally thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for intervening to prevent a sabotage attempt that threatened its operations, according to a statement released on Sunday.

The company said it was grateful for the President’s intervention through his ministers and senior government officials, which it credited with halting “the disruptive actions of PENGASSAN” against the refinery. Dangote also expressed appreciation to the Office of the National Security Adviser and various government agencies for their roles in the resolution.

In its message, Dangote characterized the actions aimed at disrupting production as attempts at economic sabotage. The company reaffirmed its commitment to “uninterrupted production of petroleum products” and pledged to protect its interests against “rent seekers, economic saboteurs and economic squatters.” It also thanked Nigerians for their supportive messages during the dispute and lauded its workforce for maintaining operational stability.

The broader dispute centered on the dismissal of over 800 employees by Dangote, which management claimed were involved in acts of sabotage. The dismissals triggered union protests by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN). In response to the mounting tensions, the government convened a reconciliation meeting led by the Labour Ministry and held at the Office of the NSA, after earlier talks stalled. Following those interventions, PENGASSAN agreed to suspend industrial action.

Lens News gathered that Tinubu’s decisive involvement and coordination among security and ministerial channels were pivotal to averting full-scale disruption at the refinery.

Dangote’s public commendation underscores the gravity of the standoff and the high stakes involved, especially given the refinery’s strategic significance to Nigeria’s energy infrastructure. The company’s statement closed by reaffirming its dedication to Nigeria and its people, promising resilience despite internal and external pressures.