The faceoff between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Dangote Petroleum Refinery deepened on Saturday as the union directed its branches to halt all crude oil and gas supplies to the $20 billion facility.
In a letter signed by its General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, PENGASSAN accused the refinery of sacking its members for exercising their right to unionize. The union also alleged that Dangote management withdrew staff buses and denied entry to Nigerian workers while allowing expatriates access.
The directive, which affects operations of major oil companies including TotalEnergies, Chevron, Seplat, Oando, Shell Nigeria Gas, Renaissance, and NGIC, ordered branch chairmen to “shut all crude oil supply valves” and stop loading vessels headed for the refinery.
PENGASSAN described the alleged mass sack as “anti-labour” and threatened to picket the facility.
Dangote Refinery, however, dismissed the allegations, clarifying that over 3,000 Nigerians remain employed and that the restructuring only affected a small number of workers to prevent acts of sabotage within the plant. The company said the reorganisation was necessary for safety and operational stability.
The standoff comes days after the refinery announced it would suspend petrol sales in naira starting September 28, citing the exhaustion of crude-for-naira allocations.
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