The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has instructed its members to immediately stop providing gas to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and shut all crude oil supply valves to the facility.
This directive comes as a retaliation to the refinery’s management terminating the employment of union members who exercised their constitutional right to unionize.
“We bring you fraternal greetings from the National Secretariat. As you are aware, the Management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has disengaged our members in reaction to the exercise of their constitutional right to being unionized,” PENGASSAN’s General Secretary, Comrade Lumumba Ighotemu Okugbawa, stated in a letter obtained by Persecondnews.
“They have gone further on a mission of misinformation and propaganda to justify this illegitimacy rather than engaging meaningfully with us to right the wrong”.
PENGASSAN has directed its members to take immediate action, including cutting off gas supply to the refinery, shutting crude oil supply valves, and halting loading operations for vessels headed to the refinery.
The union’s directive emphasizes solidarity among its members, with the phrase “Injury to one, Injury to all” underscoring their commitment to protecting workers’ rights.
This development may exacerbate the challenges faced by the Dangote Refinery, which has been struggling with crude oil supply issues.
PENGASSAN had previously raised concerns about the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited’s ability to supply crude oil to the refinery due to loans taken by the previous government, with the mineral resource used as collateral.
The shutdown of crude oil supply and gas to the Dangote Refinery could have significant implications for Nigeria’s energy sector, potentially leading to fuel shortages and economic disruptions.
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