27th September 2025-Published by Cyril
The standoff between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the $20 billion Dangote Petroleum Refinery has escalated, as the union directed its branches to halt crude oil and gas supplies to the facility.
In a letter dated September 26 and signed by General Secretary Lumumba Okugbawa, PENGASSAN accused the refinery’s management of sacking its members for exercising their constitutional right to join the union. The union described the move as “illegitimate” and vowed to resist what it called anti-labour practices.
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According to the directive, branch chairmen of PENGASSAN in major oil companies, including TotalEnergies, Chevron, Seplat, Oando, Shell Nigeria Gas, Renaissance, and the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC), were instructed to immediately shut down crude oil and gas supply lines to Dangote Refinery.
- “The Management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has disengaged our members in reaction to their constitutional right to unionize. Instead of engaging in dialogue, they resorted to propaganda. All crude oil valves to the refinery should be shut, and gas supply cut off effective immediately,” the union’s directive read.
The union further instructed NGIC’s chairman to ensure strict compliance, while also mandating branch chairmen to provide regular updates on the enforcement of the order.
Dangote Refinery Reacts
In response, Dangote Refinery denied allegations of anti-labour practices, clarifying that only a few workers were affected by what it described as a reorganisation aimed at preventing sabotage within the facility.
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The refinery maintained that over 3,000 Nigerians remain employed, insisting that the restructuring was necessary to protect lives and ensure safe operations after repeated acts of sabotage in different units.
Meanwhile, PENGASSAN has warned that it may resort to picketing the refinery if the issue is not resolved, reiterating its solidarity slogan: “Injury to one, injury to all!”
The dispute comes as the refinery announced it would suspend petrol sales in naira from September 28, following the exhaustion of its crude-for-naira allocations.
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