By Abiola Olawale
In an escalating labor showdown, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has fired back at the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), criticising the latter’s order on Saturday.
This is as the refinery owned by Africa’s richest person, Alhaji Aliko Dangote described PENGASSAN’s order to cut crude oil and gas supplies to its facility as “unlawful, reckless, and a direct threat to the national economy.”
In a statement released on Saturday, the refinery said: “The products that would be disrupted and stopped include but are not limited to aviation fuel, petrol, kerosene, diesel, and cooking gas – all products that are used and required by all stripes of Nigerians and persons living in Nigeria, whether high and mighty or lowly and ordinary.”
“In what circumstance would it be justified for PENGASSAN to so disrupt and introduce hardship into the living conditions of Nigerians? None that we can see.
“Dangote Refinery is one of the largest contributors to the revenue purse of the Nigerian governments – both Federal and sub-national. That contribution is currently threatened by PENGASSAN and would of course be paused if and as soon as and for as long as the PENGASSAN directive is implemented by its branches.
“Absolutely no law gives PENGASSAN the right to direct its branches to ‘cut off’ gas and crude oil supplies to Dangote Refinery at all. Besides, it constitutes misconduct for PENGASSAN or its members to disrupt or interfere in the contract between Dangote Refinery and its various vendors for the supply of gas and crude oil.
“Dangote Refinery is the only refinery of its type in Africa and ordinarily should be the pride of all Nigerians as well as the governments of Nigeria. It should ordinarily have special protection and status.
“We call on the Federal Government and security agencies to act swiftly. Nigerians should take note of the hardship that PENGASSAN wishes to inflict on all of us if not checked. Fuel queues, energy shortages, and price hikes could quickly resurface.
“We urge PENGASSAN to submit to amicable and legal resolution and not resort to actions that could introduce mayhem, disrupt the economy, and discourage investment in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.”
The New Diplomat reports that controversy erupted after PENGASSAN, in a memo to its branch chairmen at major oil firms including TotalEnergies, Chevron, Shell Nigeria Gas, Oando, and Seplat, ordered an immediate shutdown of valves and suspension of all crude loading operations to the Dangote facility.
This move stemmed from the alleged dismissal of around 800 workers at the refinery last week, a decision PENGASSAN views as a blatant violation of labor rights.
