Dangote Refinery condemns PENGASSAN gas, crude supply cut directive
Dangote
Dangote Refinery condemns PENGASSAN gas, crude supply cut directive
Abdullateef Fowewe
Dangote Refinery has strongly denounced a directive issued by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) ordering its branches to immediately cut off gas and crude oil supplies to the refinery.
Dangote Refinery in a statement released on Saturday described the directive as a “brazen, albeit shocking display of lawlessness and criminality.”
The association directed its branches—including TotalEnergies, Seplat, Renaissance, Chevron, Oando, Shell Nigeria Gas, and NGIC—to halt gas supply and close crude oil supply valves to the refinery, as well as stop loading operations for vessels headed there.
Dangote Refinery management rejected the directive, stating, “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.
“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.”
The statement also highlighted the potential economic consequences noting, “The Association’s directive amounts to economic sabotage at multiple levels, the products that would be disrupted include aviation fuel, petrol, kerosene, diesel and cooking gas – all products that are used and required by all stripes of Nigerians.”
Dangote Refinery cautioned that the directive threatens the refinery’s status as a strategic national asset and could disincentivise investors, citing, “Dangote Refinery is one of the largest contributors to the revenue purse of the Nigerian governments. That contribution is currently threatened by PENGASSAN.”
The management called on the Federal Government and security agencies to intervene promptly to prevent what they described as a “reckless and irresponsible” move that threatens national stability.
“The Association is not above the law, and it must not be allowed to believe that it is or behave as if it is. This is therefore a fight for all Nigerians.”
They urged PENGASSAN to pursue all grievances through legal channels, as the Association itself had promised earlier.
“We all must encourage and nudge PENGASSAN to live up to the commitment in its Press Release to ‘take all necessary legal actions’ – not illicit and criminal actions.”
