Thousands of oil and gas workers were stranded on Monday as a strike by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) paralysed operations at the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and key agencies.
Reports indicated that staff were locked out of offices at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NMDPRA), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF).
The strike was triggered by the alleged dismissal of about 800 PENGASSAN members at the Dangote Refinery. The union accused the company of anti-labour practices and discrimination against Nigerian employees. The refinery, however, denied the claims, insisting that the sackings were due to repeated acts of sabotage.
In retaliation, PENGASSAN ordered its members to halt crude oil and gas supply to the refinery and directed those in the field to down tools. At the affected agencies’ gates in Abuja, security personnel and union officials were seen enforcing the shutdown, leaving workers unable to enter.
A union official at NNPC Ltd., who requested anonymity, confirmed the closure, stating that no staff were allowed entry in compliance with the strike directive.
The Federal Government, through the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mr. Muhammad Dingyadi, has convened a meeting between PENGASSAN and Dangote Refinery management in an effort to resolve the dispute and prevent further escalation.
