The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) on Monday commenced an indefinite strike over an alleged mass dismissal of about 800 Nigerian workers at the Dangote Refinery.
However, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has faulted the action of the oil workers’ union, describing it as “narrow-minded, parochial and unpatriotic.” The Islamic human rights group accused PENGASSAN’s leadership of putting the welfare of more than 250 million Nigerians at risk for the sake of what it called “an infinitesimal minority.”
MURIC, in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, called on the Federal Government to protect the refinery from what it described as the overbearing influence of external unions.
According to the group, Nigeria’s long history of fuel shortages, skyrocketing pump prices, and their ripple effects on goods and services should have compelled the union to weigh the national interest before embarking on strike.
“In our candid opinion, this strike is absolutely unnecessary. It appears there are hidden motives. Going by what Nigeria went through in terms of decades of fuel shortages, long queues at petrol stations and high fuel prices, PENGASSAN should have considered the impact on Nigerians before deciding to go on strike,” Akintola said.
MURIC also drew parallels with other unions that do not interfere with private enterprises, citing ASUU’s non-interference in private universities, NURTW’s detachment from private transport firms, and NUT’s lack of involvement in private schools.
The group insisted that the Dangote Refinery should be treated as a national priority project given its role in stabilizing the naira, meeting local fuel needs, creating jobs, and reducing inflation by lowering petrol prices.
MURIC further warned that continued disruption could discourage both local and foreign investment, describing PENGASSAN’s stance as “economic sabotage.”
“It is unthinkable that a Nigerian who invested $23 billion in a 650,000 barrels-per-day refinery to ease the suffering of the masses should be dictated to by an external union. Such a union should be treated as an economic saboteur. It is high time FG cut the wings of extremist union leaders,” the statement read.
Akintola emphasized that PENGASSAN must be told “in clear, unequivocal terms” to leave the Dangote Refinery alone, arguing that the strike was “anti-people” and jeopardized national interest.
