- Safiu Kehinde
Dangote Refinery has slammed the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) over its directive of immediate suspension of gas supply to the refinery.
NPO Reported that PENGASSAN had on Saturday ordered its members to cut off gas supply to the refinery over its sacking of 800 workers due to their membership with the association.
PENGASSAN also directed all its branch chairmen to shut all crude oil supply valves to the refinery and halting all loading operations for vessels headed there.
The union accused the refinery management of disengaging the workers and embarking on a “mission of misinformation and propaganda” instead of engaging meaningfully with the union.
Reacting in a statement issued on Saturday, the Dangote Refinery management condemned PENGASSAN’s directive, describing it as a brazen and shocking display of lawlessness and economic sabotage.
The management maintained that no law gives PENGASSAN the right to direct its vendors to cut off gas and crude oil supply to the refinery.
Dangote noted that the association was not part of the parties involved in the refinery’s supply contract with the vendors, thereby rendering the directive as a criminal conduct.
The refinery recalled PENGASSAN’s initial statement issued on Friday where the association vowed to take legal action if the workers are not recalled.
Dangote charged PENGASSAN to return to the live up to its commitment of taking every necessary legal action and not the illicit criminal action it took.
The refinery further alleged that shutdown of its crude supply amounts to economic sabotage at multiple levels as it deprived it of supplying petroleum products which include aviation fuel, petrol, kerosene, diesel, and cooking gas to Nigerians.
This according to the statement will introduce insufferable hardship to Nigerians.
Coupled with the sabotage, Dangote refinery also informed PENGASSAN that the action would serve as disincentive to external investors while also threaten Nigerian government’s revenue purse as the refinery is one of the largest contribute to the country’s revenue.
Dangote charged the government and necessary authorities to call PENGASSAN to order, noting that the association has no right to introduce anarchy and mayhem into the society.
