Dare Babalola
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has directed its members to immediately cease gas and crude oil supplies to Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
The order followed the alleged sack of 800 workers by Dangote Petroleum Refinery last Thursday.
The order, issued by General Secretary Comrade Lumumba Ighotemu Okugbawa, also mandated halting vessel loading operations for the refinery.
The memo was addressed to the Branch chairmen in TotalEnergies, Renaissances, Chevron, Shell Nigeria Gas, Oando, and Seplat Producing Nigeria Unlimited.
The union ordered its members to close off valves and suspend all crude loading operations to the facility.
The directive read, “We bring you fraternal greetings from the National Secretariat. As you are aware, the Management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has disengaged our members in reaction to the exercise of their constitutional right to being unionized.
“They have gone further on a mission of misinformation and propaganda to justify this illegitimacy rather than engaging meaningfully with us to right the wrong. Consequent to these, you hereby directed to cut off gas supply to NGIC effective immediately.
“All crude oil supply valves to the Refinery should be shut. The loading operation for vessel headed there should be halted immediately.
“NGIC Chairman, ensure that gas supply to the Refinery is cut off effective immediately.
All chairmen on this summon are to report promptly the progress of the directive.”
The move comes just two after the Dangote Refinery disengaged about 800 workers, describing the exercise as part of an ongoing reorganisation to protect the facility from repeated acts of sabotage that had raised safety concerns and hampered operations.
