PENGASSAN Moves To Cripple Dangote Refinery, Cuts Gas, Crude Supply
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has ordered an immediate shutdown of gas and crude oil supplies to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, escalating a brewing dispute over the sack of its members and their replacement with foreigners at the facility.
The order, which was contained in the letter addressed to branch chairmen across oil and gas companies and signed by PENGASSAN General Secretary, Comrade Lumumba Okugbawa, followed outrage over the refinery’s decision to disengage more than 800 Nigerian staff allegedly for exercising their constitutional right to unionize, while replacing them with about 2,000 expatriates.
PENGASSAN accused the refinery’s management of sacking its members for exercising their constitutional right to unionize, describing the move as illegitimate and provocative.
“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.” Okugbawa said
The Union said instead of addressing the matter in good faith, the refinery management “have gone further on a mission of misinformation and propaganda to justify this illegitimacy rather than engaging meaningfully with us to right the wrong.”
Consequently, PENGASSAN ordered its members in TotalEnergies E&P, Seplat Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Renaissance, Chevron, Oando, Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG), and NGIC to enforce a shutdown of energy supply lines to the refinery.
“You are hereby directed to cut off gas supply to NGIC effective immediately. All crude oil supply valves to the Refinery should be shut. The loading operation for vessel headed there should be halted immediately.” Okugbawa said.
The union further mandated the NGIC Chairman to ensure compliance, stressing: “NGIC Chairman, ensure that gas supply to the Refinery is cut off effective immediately.”
PENGASSAN further instructed all chairmen summoned in the directive to provide progress reports on the implementation of the shutdown, saying it would not tolerate the continued undermining of workers’ rights at the nation’s flagship private refinery.
