Dangote Refinery has accused Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) of trying to undermine the country’s energy supply.
Gatekeepers News reports that this comes after the union on Friday, directed its members to cut crude oil and gas supplies to the plant. It alleged that the refinery had laid off over 800 workers and said it was working to resolve the matter.
Dangote refinery later confirmed that some workers were dismissed but explained that only a small number were affected in what it called a restructuring exercise. Following this, PENGASSAN asked management to recall all sacked Nigerian workers.
In response to the union’s latest directive, Dangote Refinery cautioned that halting crude and gas supplies could throw Nigeria back into fuel scarcity and affect the availability of petrol, diesel, kerosene, cooking gas, and aviation fuel.
The company described the move as economic sabotage against both the refinery and the Nigerian state. It said, “Absolutely no law gives PENGASSAN the right to direct its branches to cut off gas and crude oil supplies to Dangote Refinery.”
“There is also no law in our statute books that would support or enable such actions. Besides, it constitutes a criminal conduct for PENGASSAN or its members to disrupt or interfere in the contracts between Dangote Refinery and its vendors for the supply of gas and crude oil.”
“Those supply contracts were not entered into with PENGASSAN; they were entered into by Dangote Refinery with third-party vendors and suppliers. PENGASSAN has no right whatsoever to interfere with those contracts.”
The refinery stressed that Nigeria is governed by law and not by self-help or mob actiontrthat could create disorder and lead to anarchy. It also warned that the directive threatens revenues due to the federal and state governments.
According to the company, the refinery is a strategic national asset that should be protected. It drew the attention of the federal government, security agencies, and other authorities to what it called PENGASSAN’s disruptive conduct. The management also criticised the union for what it described as a contradictory position, noting that while PENGASSAN had earlier said it would take legal action, it instead “abandoned the path of lawfulness and embraced mob action.”
The refinery further alleged that the union has asked its branches to “disrupt and stop the supply of petroleum products from the Dangote Refinery to Nigerians.” It said: “It should ordinarily have special protection and status and indeed qualifies as a strategic national asset. An irreparable injury to the Dangote Refinery such as PENGASSAN has directed constitutes a national embarrassment to all of us. The directive is a disincentive to external investors who would have been encouraged by the success of Dangote Refinery to consider investing in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.”
The company urged Nigerians to resist any attempt to disrupt operations, warning that obeying the directive would cause “irreparable hardship” for households and businesses nationwide.
