The President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Festus Osifo, has explained why the union suspended its nationwide strike against Dangote Refinery, despite dissatisfaction with the outcome of negotiations.

Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, Osifo said the decision was made out of respect for government institutions and Nigerians, following an all-night mediation led by the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Chief Reconciliator of the Federation, and key ministers.

“We are not happy with the terms of the agreement because it did not capture our main demand of recalling the 800 sacked Nigerians. But out of respect for government institutions … we decided to suspend the action,” Osifo stated.

However, he issued a stern warning:

“If Dangote fails to keep its part, we will resume immediately, without any warning.”

The strike, which began on Sunday, led to a cut in gas and crude supply to the 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery, sparking disruptions across Nigeria’s oil downstream sector.

Following the Federal Government’s intervention, PENGASSAN agreed to suspend the two-day strike after assurances that Dangote Refinery would reabsorb the sacked workers — the primary demand of the union.

Recall that the refinery had last week confirmed the dismissal of over 800 workers for what it described as “voluntary membership” in PENGASSAN, a move that triggered the union’s industrial action.

With the truce now in place, stakeholders are watching closely to see if Dangote Refinery honours its commitments to avoid a fresh wave of disruptions.