Battle with Dangote: PENGASSAN orders members to abandon duty posts for prayers

By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja

Instead of resuming at their duty posts on Monday, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has directed its members nationwide to embark on 24-hour prayers as it intensified its battle with Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals over alleged sack of over 800 of its members.

“The prayer point should include a call to God Almighty to give courage to those in authority to rein in Dangote and his co-travelers on the need to obey the laws of our country,”
Mr Lumumba Okugbawa, PENGASSAN’s General Secretary said in a statement on Sunday.

According to him, the directive to embark on prayers was one of the resolutions reached at emergency meeting of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) held on Saturday in Abuja.

The PENGASSAN chieftain said sack of 800 workers by Dangote Refinery as a violation of Nigeria’s labour laws, the Constitution, and international conventions.

According to him, “the refinery has replaced Nigerians with over 2,000 foreign workers, subjecting our people to the worst type of working conditions in the oil and gas industry.

He added that no man or company, no matter how highly placed, is above the law and cannot be called to order by our national institutions.

He said the NEC ordered all PENGASSAN members working across field locations to withdraw their services effective 06:00hrs on Sunday, Sept. 28.

Okugbawa said those in offices, companies, institutions and agencies are to withdraw services from 00:01hrs on Monday, Sept. 29.

According to him, all processes involving gas and crude supply to Dangote Refinery had been suspended immediately.

Okugbawa also disclosed that the union had declared a 24-hour nationwide prayer.

“An injury to one is an injury to all. No man is bigger than our country,” Okugbawa said.

‘PENGASSAN’s Allegation Unfounded, Misleading’

However, the Management of Dangote Refinery has denied the allegation of mass sacking of workers by PENGASSAN.

The refinery however said it embarked on the re-organisation within its workforce aimed at strengthening operations and addressing repeated acts of sabotage.

It also added that more than 3,000 Nigerians are still working at the refinery despite the re-organisation exercise while more Nigerians are being recruited.

“…Over 3,000 Nigerians continue to work actively in our Petroleum Refinery, at present. Only a minimal number of staff were affected, as we continue to recruit Nigerian talent through our various graduate trainee programmes and experienced hire recruitment process,” it said.

The company stated that the reorganization had become necessary following intermittent cases of sabotage within the facility, which created safety risks and disrupted operations.

“The foregoing decision was taken in the best interest of the Refinery as a result of intermittent cases of sabotage in the various units of the Refinery with dire consequences on human life and related safety concerns. We remain vigilant to our internal systems and vulnerabilities to ensure the long-term stability of this strategic national asset. It is imperative to protect the refinery for the benefit of Nigerians, our partners across Africa, and the thousands of people whose livelihoods depend on it,” the statement noted.

Reassuring employees and stakeholders, the refinery reaffirmed its commitment to internationally accepted labour principles, including workers’ freedom to decide on union membership without interference.