The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria has ordered seven branches to cut off crude oil and gas supplies to the $20 billion Dangote Refinery, accusing the refinery’s management of sacking its members in retaliation for exercising their constitutional right to join the union.

In a letter dated September 26 and signed by its General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, PENGASSAN instructed its branch chairmen in key upstream and midstream oil companies to immediately cut off all crude oil and gas supplies to the refinery. The union’s move marks an escalation in the standoff, with PENGASSAN accusing the refinery of anti-labour practices and the unlawful sack of its members.

PENGASSAN claimed that Nigerian workers were sacked by Dangote Refinery after joining the union, and management also withdrew staff buses and denied entry to locals while allowing expatriates access. The union threatened to picket the refinery if the situation was not addressed.

“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,” the union stated.

“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 effective immediately. All crude oil supply valves to the Refinery should be shut. The loading operation for vessel headed there should be halted immediately,” the directive read.

The union further mandated the NGIC Chairman to ensure strict compliance with the order and told all branch chairmen to give regular updates on the action taken.

“NGIC Chairman, ensure that gas supply to the Refinery is cut off effective immediately. All chairmen on this summons are to report promptly the progress of the directive. Kindly accept the assurances of our highest esteem. Thank you,” the statement read. Reaffirming its solidarity, PENGASSAN ended the directive with its slogan: “Injury to one! Injury to all!”

In response, the Dangote Refinery clarified that only a small number of workers were affected by what it described as a reorganisation aimed at preventing acts of sabotage within the facility. It said over 3,000 Nigerians remain in employment, rejecting claims of mass layoffs. The refinery maintained that the restructuring was necessary after recurring acts of sabotage in different units posed serious risks to human lives and operations.

This development comes as the refinery announced it would suspend petrol sales in naira from September 28 following the exhaustion of its crude-for-naira allocations.