Follow Up: PENGASSAN Orders Suspension of Gas, Crude Supply to Dangote Refinery, Gives Reason
By: Israel Adeleke
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports as gathered that following reports circulating online over mass sackings at the Dangote refinery, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has directed its members to stop supplying gas and crude oil to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery with immediate effect.
OTN News further reports as gathered that this directive which was given in a letter signed by its General Secretary, Comrade Lumumba Okugbawa, over the weekend, accused the refinery management of victimising workers seeking to unionise, while resorting to “misinformation and propaganda” instead of meaningful engagement.
According to the union, the action was necessary to protect workers’ constitutional rights to join a union without intimidation.
PENGASSAN instructed all branch chairmen, particularly those in the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC), to cut off gas supply to the refinery without delay.
It also ordered the shutdown of all crude supply valves and suspension of loading operations for vessels headed to the plant.
OTN News observes that the directive was extended to union branches in key upstream and midstream companies, including TotalEnergies, Chevron, Seplat, Shell Nigeria Gas, Oando and NGIC.
OTN News had earlier reported that the Dangote refinery sacked mass numbers of its workers who are Nigerians that are seeking to unionise.
However, Dangote Group denied such reports of mass sackings at the refinery, saying only a small number of employees were affected in what it described as measures to safeguard operations from sabotage.
The company maintained that more than 3,000 Nigerians remain employed at the refinery and that workers are free to decide whether or not to unionised.
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