THE Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has ordered its members across key oil and gas companies to immediately pause supply of crude oil and gas to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, following the mass sack of 800 workers by Dangote Petroleum Refinery last Thursday, September 25.
PENGASSAN, in a memo by its General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, to branch chairmen in TotalEnergies, Renaissances, Chevron, Shell Nigeria Gas, Oando and Seplat Producing Nigeria Unlimited, titled, ‘Injury to one, injury to all,’ directed the immediate shutdown of valves and suspension of all crude loading operations to the facility.
According to the memo: “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 be unionised.
“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 the vessel headed there should be halted immediately.
“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.”
The directive came two after the refinery’s sack of about 800 Nigerian workers in which it said was part of an ongoing reorganisation to protect the facility from repeated acts of sabotage that had raised safety concerns and hampered operations.
But Labour unions in the sector, who have been having running battles with the refinery’s management over its alleged rejection of unionism in its establishment, attributed the mass sack to members’ joining of the unions.
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