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 some parts of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.
Following reports from Abuja on Tuesday, September 30, it was observed that some major petrol retail outlets in the Central Business District (CBD) and Wuse District were under lock and key.
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).
Also, TotalEnergies filling station located in Wuse Zone 2 & 3 junctions, and the NNPC retail outlet at Wuse zone 4 were also not selling petrol.
While at the NMDPRA Headquarters gate located at the federal secretariat, Abuja, a banner with a writeup ‘Dangote Must Obey’, Dangote is Not bigger than the country and Dangote the Chief of lawless officer
It could be recalled that PENGASSAN claimed that 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.
Responding, 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.
