The standoff between the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) deepened on Saturday as the union ordered its branches to cut crude oil and gas supplies to the facility.
In a letter dated September 26 and signed by its General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, PENGASSAN accused the refinery of sacking its members for exercising their constitutional right to join the union.
The directive was sent to branch chairmen in key oil and gas companies, including TotalEnergies, Chevron, Seplat, Shell Nigeria Gas, Oando, Renaissance, and the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC), instructing them to “immediately cut off all crude oil and gas supplies to the refinery.”
PENGASSAN said the action was necessary after it accused the refinery of “anti-labour practices” and the “unlawful sack” of workers. It also claimed that management withdrew staff buses and barred local workers from entry while allowing expatriates access.
The union warned it could escalate further by picketing the refinery if the situation was not resolved.
In its response on Friday, the refinery rejected claims of mass layoffs. It said “only a small number” of workers were affected by a restructuring exercise aimed at preventing “acts of sabotage” within the facility. The company added that “over 3,000 Nigerians remain in employment,” stressing that the restructuring was to safeguard lives and operations.
But PENGASSAN dismissed the refinery’s defence as propaganda.
“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 instructed the NGIC Chairman to ensure strict compliance and directed all branch chairmen to provide regular updates.
“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 added.
Reaffirming its position, the directive ended with the union’s slogan: “Injury to one! Injury to all!”
The company had earlier announced it would suspend petrol sales in naira from September 28 following the exhaustion of its crude-for-naira allocations.