Olayiwola Matthew
Dangote Refinery has recalled several engineers earlier laid off during its dispute with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), redeploying them to various projects across the country.
The affected staff — including some who were still graduate trainees at the time of their dismissal — have been invited to collect new letters of engagement for re-employment and redeployment.
Under the new arrangement, some engineers have been posted to the company’s coal mining site in Okpokwu, Benue State, while others are being sent to concrete road construction projects in Borno and Ebonyi states. Additional redeployments were made to rice processing plants in Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto, and Zamfara states.
According to the company’s offer letter, the recalled engineers are to resume at their new locations within 14 days or risk forfeiting the offer.
An excerpt from one of the letters reads:
“Based on your performance at the assessment and subsequent interviews held with you, we are pleased to engage you as Engineer Trainee (Mechanical Engineering) for the coal project we are executing at Okpokwu, Benue State. You will undergo classroom and hands-on training in construction, commissioning, and operations for a period of two years, with periodic reviews.”
The letter further stated that either party could terminate the engagement with one month’s notice or payment in lieu of notice.
The Dangote Group welcomed the redeployed engineers, stating that the new placements are aimed at building technical capacity and aligning manpower needs across its diverse industrial operations.