Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The dispute between Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has taken a worrisome dimension with the union threatening to cut off crude and gas supplies to the refinery.
PENGASSAN attributed its latest action to Dangote Refinery’s alleged unilateral action in sacking over 800 staff members for joining the association.
It described the action of the oil refinery company as an affront to all workers in Nigeria and a deliberate violation of Nigeria’s labour laws, the constitution, and ILO conventions.
In a memo signed by the General Secretary of PENGASSAN, Comrade Lumumba Ighotemu Okugbawa, and addressed to members and PENGASSAN branches nationwide, the union said its National Executive Council (NEC) held an emergency meeting of all its branches on Saturday, October 27th and resolved that members should withdraw all services effective 00:01 on Monday, September 29, 2025.
Consequently, the NEC meeting resolves as follows: “That all PENGASSAN members working across field locations are to withdraw services effective 06:00hrs on Sunday, 28th of September, 2025 and commence 24-hour prayers.
“All PENGASSAN members across all offices, companies, institutions and agencies should withdraw all services effective 00:01 on Monday, 29th of September, 2025.
“This includes all control room operations, panel operations and outfield personnel.
“No intervention whatsoever will be entertained across field locations except where the safety of personnel and assets is at risk; such clearance must be obtained from the National Secretariat.
“All IOC branches must ramp down gas production and supply to Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals.
“All processes that involve gas and crude supply to Dangote Refinery should be let off effectively immediately.
“No man is bigger than our country!! An injury to one is an injury to all.”
The association urged its members to immediately embark on prayers, calling on God Almighty to intervene and give courage to those in authority to rein in Dangote and his co-travellers on the need to obey the laws of Nigeria.