THE rift between Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has continued after a meeting that lasted till 1.30am on Tuesday. The meeting ended in deadlock with each party failing to budge.
While Dangote Refinery isn’t ready to recall the 800 workers it allegedly laid off last week, PENGASSAN and other labour leaders insisted on the continuation of strike until they were brought back. Already, PENGASSAN has cut off gas supply to Dangote Petroleum Refinery, with workers across the sector failing to go work, triggering the scarcity of the critical energy source for various households and firms.
As of Tuesday morning, cooking gas scarcity deepened in Lagos, with buyers unable to get the product at Cele, Oke-Afa, Oshodi, Iyana-Ipaja and Ijeshatedo. Economy Post found a station selling at Ejigbo Local Government Area, but the price was higher at N1,200 -N1600 per litre as against N1,000 per litre sold two weeks ago.
“Everywhere is shut down. We do not have gas now and we don’t even have petrol,” a Petrocam sales agant at a petrol station behind Ajao Estate told Economy Post.
READ ALSO: Fight to finish: PENGASSAN cuts gas supply to Dangote refinery
Our correspondent in Abuja could not find gas on Tuesday at Kubwa and Wuse Zone 5 as at the time of going to the press. Energy industry watchers are predicting petrol scarcity from today, which could disrupt the nation’s stable economy.
“Dangote Petrolum Refinery has provided some level of stability for both the foreign exchange market and the petrol sector. We cannot afford another chaos in the form of scarcity of either gas or petrol now. Company operatins will be disrupted, just as several families may not be able to eat,” an oil sector expert, who pleaded anonymity because of his role in the industry, said.
Fight to finish
In a statement seen by Economy Post, PENGASSAN directed members in TotalEnergies E&P, Seplat, Rennaisance, Chevron, Oando, NGIC, and Shell Nigerian Gas to immediately shut down gas supply to the 650,000 metric ton (MT) per day refinery in Lagos.
“As you are aware, the Management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has disengaged our members in reaction to the exercise of their constitutional right to being unionized. They have gone further on a mission of misinformation and propaganda to justify this illegitimacy rather than engaging meaningfully with us to right the wrong.
“Consequent to these, you are hereby directed to cut off gas supply to NGIC immediately. All crude oil supply valves to the Refinery should be shut. The loading operation for vessel headed there should be halted immediately.”
It further directed the NGIC chairman to ensure that gas supply to the refinery was cut off effective immediately.
Dangote refinery had sacked some petroleum workers for what it termed “repeated acts of sabotage.” This happened after unions, including PENGASSAN, resisted the refinery’s decision to stop drivers from joining associations outside its DTCDA. The matter was later resolved by the State Security Service (SSS) and Minister of Labour and Employment, Mr Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi.
But the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) further accused Dangote Petroleum Refinery days after the peace meeting of targeting to monopolise the market with its planned free distribution of fuel across the nation. The refinery later sacked some of its workers, angering the unions.
READ ALSO: Marketers ask FG to stop Dangote refinery petrol monopoly
But in a statement on Friday, the $20 million refinery said it was a restructuring exercise targeted at protecting its operations and ensuring the safety of employees.
“The Dangote Petroleum Refinery wishes to clarify recent reports concerning the ongoing reorganisation within its facility. This exercise is not arbitrary. It has become necessary to safeguard the refinery from repeated acts of sabotage that have raised safety concerns and affected operational efficiency,” the statement read.
The company said only a “very small number of staff were affected” by the restructuring, stating that its workforce remained largely intact. It revealed that over 3,000 Nigerians had continued to work at the refinery.
“Over 3,000 Nigerians continue to work actively in our petroleum refinery at present. Only a very small number of staff were affected, as we continue to recruit Nigerian talent through our various graduate trainee programmes and experienced hire recruitment process,” Dangote said.
