Former Kaduna State lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, has urged the management of Dangote Refinery to immediately reinstate workers reportedly sacked for joining trade unions, describing the dismissals as a violation of constitutional rights and a threat to industrial harmony.

In a statement shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday, Sani also appealed to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to suspend its order to cut off gas supply to the refinery, warning that such action could harm the nation’s economic interests.

He stated: “Dangote should recall the workers sacked because of their decision to join their trade unions. PENGASSAN should suspend their decision to cut off gas supply to the Dangote Refinery.”

The call comes amid rising tensions between the refinery management and organised labour. PENGASSAN alleges that over 800 workers were dismissed for union membership, a move the union says violates Nigerian labour laws and international conventions. The union has since ordered a nationwide shutdown of refinery operations, including gas and crude supply, and accused the company of replacing Nigerian workers with more than 2,000 foreign employees, sparking outrage among labour groups and civil society.

Dangote Refinery, for its part, described the union’s strike order as “reckless, lawless and dangerous,” accusing PENGASSAN of sabotage and pursuing selfish interests. The company maintained that the dismissals were motivated by safety and efficiency concerns, not anti-union bias, and noted that over 3,000 Nigerians remain employed at the facility.

Sani, a human rights advocate and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, emphasised that while Dangote Refinery is a strategic national asset, it must operate within Nigeria’s labour laws and respect workers’ rights.

“The nation is proud of Dangote’s refinery and its unprecedented success, but the right of workers to unionise is protected under our laws,” he added.

With PENGASSAN’s strike already affecting operations, the federal government has called for a meeting on Monday to seek a swift resolution and avert a wider industrial crisis in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.