Dangote Petroleum Refinery has issued a warning that a recent directive by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to halt crude oil and gas supplies to its facility could plunge Nigeria into a fresh and devastating round of fuel scarcity.
The company, in a statement released on Saturday, labelled the union’s action as criminal, reckless, and an act of economic sabotage, urging the government and security agencies to intervene before the country is thrown into chaos.
According to the refinery, PENGASSAN’s directive, if enforced, would disrupt the production and nationwide supply of vital petroleum products, including petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, kerosene, and cooking gas.
“These products are the lifeblood of Nigeria’s economy and daily life, and a sudden disruption would inflict insufferable hardship on millions of citizens, from households to businesses and industries.
“The products that would be disrupted and stopped include but are not limited to aviation fuel, petrol, kerosene, diesel and cooking gas, all products that are used and required by all stripes of Nigerians and persons living in Nigeria, whether high and mighty or lowly and ordinary,” the statement read.
The company questioned the motive behind PENGASSAN’s action, asking, “In what circumstance would it be justified for PENGASSAN to so disrupt and introduce insufferable hardship into the living conditions of Nigerians? None that we can see.”
The refinery further posited that the union’s action was not in the interest of the Nigerian state or its citizens, but rather aimed at inflicting anarchic and criminal disruption upon the society.
Beyond the immediate hardship on citizens, the Dangote Refinery highlighted the severe economic repercussions for the nation.
It stressed its role as one of the country’s largest taxpayers, contributing significantly to both federal and state coffers.
A pause in its operations, it warned, would not only stall these crucial contributions but also undermine investor confidence in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
“This is also economic sabotage against the Nigerian State at multiple levels.
“Dangote Refinery is the only refinery of its type in Africa and ordinarily should be the pride of all Nigerians as well as the governments of Nigeria.
“It should ordinarily have special protection and status and indeed qualifies as a strategic national asset,” the company stated.
It added that any irreparable injury to the refinery would be a national embarrassment and a major disincentive to external investors, who might be watching its success as a barometer for the viability of investing in Nigeria.
The statement also directly challenged the legality of PENGASSAN’s directive, arguing that the union has no legal authority to interfere with the supply contracts between the refinery and its vendors.
The company insisted that such an action constitutes criminal conduct as the supply agreements were not entered into with PENGASSAN, and the union has no right whatsoever to disrupt and/or interfere with the performance of those contracts.
“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.
“There is also no law in our statute books that would support or enable the PENGASSAN branches having to cut off gas and crude oil supplies to Dangote Refinery or at all,” the statement emphasised.
The refinery’s management called on the Federal Government and all relevant security agencies to act swiftly to prevent the impending crisis.
It urged Nigerians to take note of the “unquantifiable and irredeemable hardship which PENGASSAN wishes to inflict on all of us” if its directive is not checked.
The company warned that the immediate consequences would be the reappearance of long fuel queues, widespread energy shortages, and soaring prices for petroleum products.
In a final appeal, the Dangote Refinery implored PENGASSAN to seek amicable and legal means of resolution instead of resorting to actions that amount to economic sabotage and mob action.
The company warned that such a path could easily introduce mayhem and chaos and easily translate into anarchy,” threatening the very stability of the nation.
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