Petrol Black Market Booms as Dangote vs PENGASSAN Clash Shuts Filling Stations
- The strike by PENGASSAN has caused many fuel stations in Abuja to shut down, leading to a resurgence of black market petrol sellers
- The union is protesting alleged anti-labour practices and the sacking of workers at Dangote Refinery, which it accuses of unfair treatment of Nigerian staff
- Although the FG and courts have intervened to stop the strike, talks between PENGASSAN and Dangote Refinery is yet to yield a resolution
Legit.ng journalist Victor Enengedi has over a decade's experience covering Energy, MSMEs, Technology, Banking and the Economy.
The strike by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has led to the return of black market petrol sellers in Abuja.
When reporters visited fuel stations in the Central Business District and Wuse areas on Tuesday, September 30, many of them were locked, including NNPC and independent outlets.
Source: UGC
The Eterna filling station in Maitama offered some relief by selling petrol, but drivers faced long struggles to access the pumps. Opportunistic touts were also spotted, demanding bribes from motorists in exchange for quicker access to fuel.
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Other major stations like TotalEnergies in Wuse and NNPC stations in Zone 4 were also not selling fuel.
According to Premium Times, outside these stations, some traders were selling petrol in jerry cans.
At the Conoil station opposite NNPC Towers, a 10-litre can of petrol was sold between N13,500 and N15,000.
The shutdown of offices belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), the Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and the Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) continued on Tuesday, with PENGASSAN members blocking the entrances.
Dangote vs PENGASSAN dispute
PENGASSAN had earlier directed members to disrupt operations at Dangote Refinery, accusing the company of sacking some union workers and spreading false claims.
The union also alleged anti-labour practices and discrimination against Nigerian employees, leading to a nationwide strike order from September 28.
Dangote Refinery rejected the accusations, calling the union’s order illegal. The refinery urged PENGASSAN to follow the law and warned that their actions could harm the economy. It also urged the government and security agencies to intervene.
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The House of Representatives and the federal government have since appealed to PENGASSAN to suspend its strike, while the Ministry of Labour began talks to mediate between both sides.
Despite this, PENGASSAN blocked entrances to NNPC, NMDPRA, and NUPRC offices on Monday, displaying banners with messages such as “Dangote Must Obey” and “Dangote is Not Bigger Than the Country.”
Source: UGC
Meanwhile, the National Industrial Court in Abuja issued an interim order stopping PENGASSAN from continuing the strike or cutting off crude oil and gas supplies to Dangote Refinery.
However, a government-led reconciliation meeting between the two parties on Monday night ended without an agreement.
FERA slams PENGASSAN over Dangote Refinery
Meanwhile, the Fair Employment Rights Activists (FERA) has openly criticised the PENGASSAN, describing the union’s allegations against the $20 billion Dangote Petroleum Refinery as “deceptive, self-serving, and insincere.”
FERA accused PENGASSAN leadership of double standards, noting their past involvement in the mismanagement that contributed to the decline of Nigeria’s publicly owned refineries.
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The group defended the Dangote Refinery, stating that the facility is already reshaping the nation's economic landscape by disrupting entrenched monopolies and generating new business opportunities throughout the oil and gas value chain.
Source: Legit.ng
