Nigeria’s Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has called on its members, including TotalEnergies, Shell, Oando and others, to halt gas supply to the Dangote refinery over the mass layoff of workers.
In a letter signed on Saturday by its General Secretary, Comrade Lumumba Ighotemu Okugbawa, the union accused the refinery’s management of dismissing workers who want to be members of the association.
Dangote had earlier sacked about 1,000 employees, citing claims that they intended to join the union.
The refinery described the exercise, which it termed “reorganising,” as an attempt to sabotage the $20 billion plant.
In reaction, the union condemned the mass dismissal, calling it “anti-labour practices.”
PENGASSAN further demanded that all affected workers be recalled and reinstated.
The letter to its members stated in part:
“Consequent to these, you are 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 vessels headed there should be halted immediately.
“NGIC Chairman, ensure that gas supply to the refinery is cut off effective immediately.”
As of press time, it remains unclear whether the directive has been carried out by members.
If enforced, the refinery risks a complete shutdown, with its distillation units and operations grinding to a halt.
Dangote’s petrochemical complex requires uninterrupted gas supply for crude processing, urea production, and fertilizer output.
The union had earlier threatened legal action if the laid-off workers were not reinstated.
Those affected are largely Nigerian mid-level engineers, whom PENGASSAN said it can absorb.
So far, Dangote has not responded to any of the union’s circulars.
Its last statement was a clarification on the nature of the layoffs issued the day before.
Since the refinery operations began, the Dangote Group has faced several clashes with agencies and unions, including marketers and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
In July, the refinery withdrew a N100 billion ($66 million) lawsuit over a licensing dispute with petrol importers in the country.
