The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has condemned the plan by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to halt crude supply to the refinery.
The management of the refinery described the planned action as a “brazen, albeit shocking, display of lawlessness and criminality” by PENGASSAN, reports Channels TV.
It said the union lacked the right to direct its branches to “cut off” gas and crude oil supplies to the refinery.
“This is a brazen, albeit shocking, display of lawlessness and criminality by PENGASSAN. Absolutely no law gives PENGASSAN the right to direct its branches to “cut off” gas and crude oil supplies to Dangote Refinery or at all.
“There is also no law in our statute books that would support or enable the PENGASSAN branches having to ‘cut off’ gas and crude oil supplies to Dangote Refinery or at all,” it stated on Saturday.
Directive ‘Criminal’
According to the refinery, it constitutes criminal conduct for PENGASSAN or its members to disrupt and/or interfere with the contract between Dangote Refinery and its various vendors for the supply of gas and crude oil to the company.
The statement partly read, “Those supply contracts were not entered into with PENGASSAN; they were entered into by Dangote Refinery with third party vendors and suppliers and PENGASSAN has no right whatsoever to disrupt and/or interfere with the performance of those contracts.
“Perhaps, PENGASSAN needs to be reminded that Nigeria is a country governed by laws. Our laws do not brook self-help and mob action that could introduce mayhem and chaos and easily translate into anarchy.
“Indeed, this is a complete disavowal of PENGASSAN’s press release of the same 26 September 2025, which claimed that the association “will take all necessary legal actions” to challenge the Dangote Refinery actions that it purports have led to its illicit and criminal “directive”.
“It is instructive that no sooner had the Association issued the Press Release than it abandoned the path of lawfulness and embraced criminal conduct and the path that leads to mayhem and anarchy by issuing the directive aforementioned.”
‘Economic Sabotage’
The Dangote refinery also claimed that the association’s directive amounts to economic sabotage at multiple levels, as the products that would be disrupted and stopped include but are not limited to aviation fuel, petrol, kerosene, diesel, and cooking gas.
“In plain language, PENGASSAN has directed its branches to disrupt and stop the supply of petroleum products from the Dangote Refinery to Nigerians. The products that would be disrupted and stopped include but are not limited to aviation fuel, petrol, kerosene, diesel, and cooking gas – all products that are used and required by all stripes of Nigerians and persons living in Nigeria, whether high and mighty or lowly and ordinary.
“Most certainly, not in the interest of the Nigerian state and/or the Nigerian public and citizens,” the company argued.
‘Call PENGASSAN To Order’
The refinery further stated that the union’s planned action was also economic sabotage against the Nigerian state at multiple levels.
“PENGASSAN may also not be aware that Dangote Refinery is one of the largest contributors to the revenue purse of the Nigerian governments, both Federal and sub-nationals. That contribution is currently threatened by PENGASSAN and would, of course, be paused if and as soon as and for as long as the PENGASSAN directive is implemented by its branches,” it stated.
It warned that the production and supply of essential petroleum products supplied by the refinery would cease “if the PENGASSAN cabal” is allowed or permitted to enforce its “lawless and criminal ‘directive’”.
“We are, by this write-up, drawing the attention of the federal government and its security and law enforcement agencies – as well as all other levels of governments in Nigeria to this criminal, lawless, reckless, and irresponsible conduct of PENGASSAN and calling on them – the Federal Government and its agencies, in particular – to call the association to order.
“The association must not be allowed to ride roughshod over Nigerians. The repercussions from the PENGASSAN directive would affect and inflict harm on all Nigerians,” the statement added.
Crude Supply Shutdown
PENGASSAN had directed its members to halt gas supply to Dangote Petroleum Refinery with immediate effect.
A letter signed by the General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, the union accused the refinery management of disengaging unionised workers and embarking on a “mission of misinformation and propaganda” instead of engaging meaningfully with the union.
PENGASSAN instructed all its branch chairmen, particularly the NGIC branch, to ensure that gas supply to the refinery was cut off without delay.
The directive also included shutting all crude oil supply valves to the refinery and halting all loading operations for vessels headed there.
