The ongoing strike by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has led to a resurgence of black market petrol sellers in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.
PREMIUM TIMES correspondents who visited some petrol stations located along the Central Business District (CBD) and Wuse axis of Abuja on Tuesday afternoon, observed that some of the major retail outlets are under lock and keys.
For instance, it was observed that the NNPC retail outlets and some independent stations along the routes were not selling petroleum products.
At the front of these locked filling stations, some hawkers of petrol products in jerry cans were spotted. At the Conoil filling station opposite the NNPC Towers, a 10-litre jerry can of petrol is being sold within the range of N13,500 and N15,000 to motorists by the hawkers (Black marketers).
Similarly, TotalEnergies filling station in Wuse Zone 2 & 3 junctions, and the NNPC retail outlet at Wuse zone 4 were also not selling petrol.
This newspaper noticed that the Monday shutdown of the major entry points of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) continued through Tuesday as PENGASSAN members were seen at the entrance of the offices when PREMIUM TIMES visited.
Dangote vs PENGASSAN crisis
PREMIUM TIMES reports that PENGASSAN had earlier asked its members to disrupt activities at the refinery by blocking gas supply to it.
The association said its decision was in response to the move by the refinery’s management to sack some workers who are members of the union. It also accused Dangote Refinery of spreading misinformation to justify its actions.
The union also directed its members nationwide to withdraw their services in protest against the alleged sack of Nigerian workers at the refinery from midnight on 28 September. It accused the management of the refinery of anti-labour practices and discrimination against local employees, prompting the federal government’s intervention.
In a swift response, Dangote refinery described the order as illegal and cautioned PENGASSAN to obey Nigerian laws in its operations, noting that PENGASSAN has no legal right to disrupt or interfere with the refinery’s contracts with third-party vendors for gas and crude oil supply.
Dangote Refinery called on the federal government and its security agencies to intervene and call PENGASSAN to order, urging that PENGASSAN’s actions are not only lawless but also have the potential to inflict significant harm on the Nigerian economy and citizens.
On Saturday, the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) called on PENGASSAN to suspend its directive to cut off gas and crude oil supply to the Dangote refinery.
On Sunday, the federal government appealed to PENGASSAN to suspend its planned nationwide strike over its dispute with the Dangote Refinery.
In an appeal statement, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, said the ministry had already initiated moves to reconcile the parties to prevent the crisis from escalating.
This newspaper had earlier reported that PENGASSAN on Monday morning shut down the major entry points of the NNPC Ltd, NMDPRA, and the NUPRC.
At the NMDPRA Headquarters gate located at the federal secretariat, this newspaper observed a banner with an inscription ‘Dangote Must Obey’, ‘Dangote is Not bigger than the country’, and ‘Dangote the Chief of lawless officer.’
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Earlier, the National Industrial Court, Abuja, issued an interim order stopping PENGASSAN from continuing with its nationwide industrial action against the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals.
The court also restrained PENGASSAN from cutting crude and gas supply to Dangote Refinery.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the reconciliation meeting facilitated by the Nigerian government between Dangote refinery and PENGASSAN to resolve their ongoing dispute ended in deadlock Monday night.
