…Court stops PENGASSAN
Nigeria’s energy sector was thrown into turmoil yesterday, as the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) shut-down key oil and gas institutions in protest against the mass sacking of 800 workers at the Ɗangote Petroleum Refinery.
The strike forced the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) under lock and key in Abuja, with workers chanting solidarity songs and barricading entrances.
PENGASSAN ordered members in international oil companies and power firms to halt crude and gas supplies to Ɗangote Refinery and thermal plants, a move that marketers warned could trigger fuel price hikes and nationwide blackouts. With thermal plants generating over 70% of Nigeria’s electricity, grid operators raised the alarm over imminent system collapse.
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) threw its weight behind PENGASSAN, accusing Ɗangote of violating labour laws by replacing dismissed Nigerians with foreigners. The union vowed not to back down until the sacked workers are reinstated.
However, Ɗangote hit back, accusing the union of sabotage and insisting the sackings were based on safety and efficiency concerns. The company said over 3,000 Nigerians remain employed, dismissing the strike as reckless.
Confusion deepened as PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, sought to calm nerves, assuring Nigerians there would be no immediate petrol scarcity, even as he confirmed the shutdown of gas supply to the refinery and fertiliser plants.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government summoned both parties to a conciliatory meeting in Abuja, but hours later, the National Industrial Court issued an order stopping PENGASSAN and its allies from cutting crude and gas supply to the $20 billion Ɗangote Refinery.
With the refinery idle, power stations shutting down, marketers warning of price spikes, and unions threatening escalation, Nigeria’s fragile economy now hangs on whether dialogue can halt the strike showdown.
