As the controversy between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and Dangote Petroleum Refinery rages, PENGASSAN has directed its members to suspend gas supply to the Refinery with immediate effect. The directive was contained in a letter dated September 26, 2025, signed by the PENGASSAN General Secretary, Comrade Lumumba Ighotemu …
PENGASSAN Orders Shutdown of Crude, Gas Supply to Dangote Refinery
As the controversy between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and Dangote Petroleum Refinery rages, PENGASSAN has directed its members to suspend gas supply to the Refinery with immediate effect.
The directive was contained in a letter dated September 26, 2025, signed by the PENGASSAN General Secretary, Comrade Lumumba Ighotemu Okugbawa, and addressed to all branch chairmen of the union at various oil and gas firms, including TotalEnergies, Seplat, Renaissance, Chevron, Oando, Shell and the Nigeria Gas Infrastructure Company (NIGC).
In the statement, PENGASSAN accused the refinery management of sacking workers who joined the union. It further accused the company of embarking on a “mission of misinformation and propaganda” instead of engaging meaningfully with the union.
PENGASSAN directed all its branch chairmen, especially the NGIC branch, to ensure that gas supply to the refinery is cut off with immediate effect.
The union also instructed that all crude oil supply valves to the refinery should be shut and all loading operations for vessels headed there should be halted.
READ ALSO: PENGASSAN Demands Reinstatement of Nigerian Workers Sacked by Dangote Refinery
Justifying its action, PENGASSAN said workers have the constitutional rights to unionize and that must be respected and protected.
Earlier in a statement on Friday, PENGASSAN condemned the disengagement of Nigerian workers at the refinery, claiming that over 800 persons were affected.
It called on the refinery management to reinstate the affected workers or it will be forced to explore legal actions.
However, the Dangote Refinery clarified that only a small number of Nigerian workers in the facility were disengaged, adding that over 3,000 Nigerians are currently working in the company, while there is ongoing recruitment process to bring in more people onboard. It, however, did not state the number of workers laid off.
It said the act was part of efforts to reorganise the company following repeated acts of sabotage that posed a threat to the safety and sustainability of the 650,000 barrels per day capacity refinery.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist, scholar and analyst of socioeconomic issues in Nigeria and Africa. He is skilled in energy reporting, business and economy, and holds a master's degree in Mass Communication. He can be reached via @VICTOREZEJA on X
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