Dare Babalola
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has given its reason for laying off some of its workers.
In a statement on Friday, the refinery confirmed the exercise but noted tha “only a small number were affected”.
Describing it as an “ongoing reorganisation within its facility”, the statement said the action became necessary to safeguard the refinery from repeated acts of sabotage that “have raised safety concerns and affected operational efficiency”.
“Over 3,000 Nigerians continue to work actively in our Petroleum Refinery, at present.
“Only a very small number of staff were affected, as we continue to recruit Nigerian talent through our various graduate trainee programmes and experienced hire recruitment process,” the statement read.
According to the refinery, the exercise is not arbitrary, stressing that the decision was taken in the best interest of the refinery.
The statement said the move was a result of intermittent cases of sabotage in the various units of the refinery, with dire consequences on human life and related safety concerns.
The company continued, “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.
“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.”
The refinery said it exists to serve Nigerians, to strengthen Africa’s energy independence, and to create decent, sustainable jobs.
The organisation promised to continue to work in collaboration with its employees, regulators, and stakeholders “to uphold the highest standards of safety, transparency, and accountability”.
Earlier on Friday, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) said the refinery laid off some of its staff members, noting that the group was working to “resolve” the issue.
