The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has ordered its members to immediately halt the supply of gas and crude oil to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery following the termination of over 800 workers who joined the union.

In a directive dated Saturday and signed by its General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, the union said the shutdown was a response to what it described as the refinery’s “illegitimate and provocative action” against its members.

The letter, addressed to branch chairmen across the country, instructed members to take decisive steps against the 650,000-barrel-per-day facility.

The union wrote, “As you are aware, the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has disengaged our members in reaction to the exercise of their constitutional right to be unionised.

“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 the vessel headed there should be halted immediately.”

Okugbawa specifically directed the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC) branch to ensure that gas supply to the refinery was cut off without delay, while all branch chairmen were ordered to promptly report progress on compliance.

The letter added, “Injury to one, injury to all.”

The action comes less than 24 hours after Dangote Refinery confirmed that it had disengaged some of its staff over alleged sabotage, though the company denied that the move was linked to unionisation.

PENGASSAN, however, insists that over 800 Nigerian workers were targeted shortly after they voluntarily joined the association, accusing management of union-busting and unfair labour practices.