The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has directed its members to halt gas supply to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery with immediate effect.
In a letter signed by its General Secretary, Comrade Lumumba Okugbawa, on Friday, the union accused the refinery management of disengaging unionised workers and embarking on a “mission of misinformation and propaganda” instead of engaging meaningfully with the union.
PENGASSAN instructed all its branch chairmen, particularly those in the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC), to ensure that gas supply to the refinery was cut off without delay.
The directive also ordered the shutting of all crude oil supply valves to the refinery and the suspension of loading operations for vessels headed there.
Specifically, the union instructed its branch chairmen in key upstream and midstream oil companies—including TotalEnergies, Chevron, Seplat, Shell Nigeria Gas, Oando, and NGIC—to immediately halt all crude oil and gas supplies to the refinery.
PENGASSAN described the move as necessary to protect workers’ constitutional rights to unionise.
While the union linked its action to alleged victimisation of workers seeking to unionise, the Dangote Group earlier dismissed reports of mass layoffs, insisting that only a small number of employees were affected. The company said the decision was aimed at safeguarding refinery operations from sabotage.
Dangote also noted that more than 3,000 Nigerians remain employed at the refinery and maintained that workers are free to decide whether or not to join a union.
