The management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has disclosed that some of its employees were asked to go to safeguard the $20 billion facility from repeated acts of sabotage that have raised safety concerns and affected operational efficiency.
In a statement signed on Friday, it was revealed that those affected were a fraction of thousands of Nigerian workers at the private refinery.
Dangote Refinery emphasised that reorganisation, which became necessary, “is not arbitrary,” adding that it was executed “in the best interest of the refinery as result of intermittent cases of sabotage in the various units of the refinery with dire consequences on human life and related safety concerns.”
The management said, “Over 3,000 Nigerians continue to work actively in our petroleum refinery, at present,” noting that efforts are being made to “continue to recruit Nigerian talent through our various graduate trainee programmes and experienced hire recruitment process.”
It dismissed speculations that the disengaged employees were those who joined the different labour unions in the petroleum industry, including the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
“We recognise and uphold internationally accepted labour principles, including the right of every worker to freely decide whether or not to join a union. Our commitment to workers’ rights is unwavering,” it stated.
“We remain vigilant to our internal systems and vulnerabilities to ensure the long-term stability of this strategic national asset. It is imperative to protect the refinery for the benefit of Nigerians, our partners across Africa, and the thousands of people whose livelihoods depend on it,” another part of the statement made available to Business Post disclosed.
Concluding, the management stressed that, “The Dangote Petroleum Refinery exists to serve Nigerians, to strengthen Africa’s energy independence, and to create decent, sustainable jobs.
“We will continue to work in partnership with our employees, regulators, and stakeholders to uphold the highest standards of safety, transparency, and accountability.”