The rift between Dangote Refinery and members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) on Saturday deepened as the union directed its members to cut off crude oil and gas supplies to the refinery.
Specifically, PENGASSAN in a letter signed by its General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa and sent to all its branch chairmen in key upstream and midstream oil companies, the union said the directive takes immediate effect.
The companies where PENGASSAN members must halt supplies, according to Okugbawa, include TotalEnergies, Chevron, Seplat, Shell Nigeria Gas, Oando and Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company.
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Daily Trust reports that the rift took escalated turn on Saturday after an emergency meeting that was held by the leadership of the union where the decision was taken following the sack of its members.
The union had on Friday claimed that the management of Dangote Refinery withdrew staff buses belonging to PENGASSAN members and denied them entry while allowing expatriates access.
The union threatened to picket the refinery if the situation was not addressed.
But reacting, the refinery clarified that only a small number of workers were affected by what it described as a reorganisation aimed at preventing acts of sabotage within the facility.
It said over 3,000 Nigerians remain in employment, rejecting claims of mass layoffs.
Dangote maintained that the restructuring was necessary after what it described as recurring acts of sabotage in different units of the refinery, which posed serious risks to human lives and operations.
However, the union, on Saturday, instructed its branches in TotalEnergies, Seplat, Chevron, Oando, Shell Nigeria Gas, Renaissance, and NGIC to cut gas supply to the refinery immediately.
The union described the move as “illegitimate” and accused the refinery of spreading misinformation instead of addressing the matter through dialogue.
“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.
“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.
“Consequent to these, 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,” the directive read.
The union further mandated the NGIC Chairman to ensure strict compliance with the order and asked all branch chairmen to give regular updates on the action taken.
“NGIC Chairman, ensure that gas supply to the Refinery is cut off effective immediately. All chairmen on this summons are to report promptly the progress of the directive. Kindly accept the assurances of our highest esteem. Thank you,” the statement read.
Reaffirming its solidarity, PENGASSAN ended the directive with its slogan: “Injury to one! Injury to all!”
