The dissolution followed the “inability” of the executives
to completely shut down gas supply to Dangote refinery during the association’s
strike.

The development, detailed in a report seen on
Monday, is the latest on the internal crisis of PENGASSAN.

On September 28, PENGASSAN commenced a nationwide strike,
asking its members to reduce gas production and supply to Dangote refinery.

In the report, the NGIC/NGML congress members appealed to
the national leadership of the association to “reconsider its decision to
dissolve the leadership of NGIC/NGML Branch”.

They also asked the national leadership to “kindly drop the
allegations of collusion and acceptance of monetary gifts from NGIC/NGML
Management to prevent the shutdown”.

“These allegations are serious and if continued to be spread
may taint the image of the executives and calls into question their integrity,”
the group said.

“If there is evidence of sabotage beyond our line of sight
as a congress, to suggest that dissolution of the branch be instituted, then we
appeal that fair hearing be granted to the comrades to either clear their names
or be found guilty with evidence.”

The congress argued that the reward for an unsuccessful
struggle should not “be dissolution, but correction and re-strategize for
future success”.

‘WHY WE COULDN’T TOTALLY SHUT DOWN GAS SUPPLY TO DANGOTE
REFINERY’

The group explained that while they attempted to completely
shut down the gas supply to the refinery, they were only able to close a few
valves.

“It is also important to state that, at no point did the
branch executives tell anyone that Dangote has been shut down 100%, they only
said they have shut down some valves along the line and the inlet from OB3 to
the line through Oben, and they hope the pressure will drop after few hours and
Dangote will come down, all of which didn’t work out as they had expected,” the
report reads.

“We note that whoever informed the national president that
gas supply to Dangote refinery was cut-off had done so in haste to give good
news, and impatient to wait for the outcome of the actions our comrades from
NGIC took.”

The congress members said their branch leadership had done
more than enough to carry out the directives of the national body, even at the
risk of their own safety.

They said the leadership went as far as undertaking actions
that management described as “unprecedented in the history of NGIC/NGML,”
including the shutdown of facilities and damage to assets.

‘WE’VE NEVER SHUT DOWN CUSTOMER OPERATIONS IN A STRIKE
ACTION’

The group noted that the NGIC/NGML PENGASSAN had never
previously shut down any customer operations during a strike action.

According to the members, the branch recorded some successes
despite being constrained by the continued injection of gas “from producers to
the ELPS and the heavy presence of military personnel which usually outnumber
them”.

They said the actions taken by their leaders left no room
for suspicion of any collusion with the NGIC management to undermine the
national struggle against Dangote.

The congress members insisted that allegations of receiving
incentives, conniving with management, or engaging in sabotage were baseless,
unsupported by evidence, and failed to reflect the leadership’s substantial
contributions to the struggle.

They warned that if such allegations and decisions
persisted, it could discourage many members who had stood firmly in solidarity
during the industrial action.