The Federal Government has moved to calm tensions in the oil sector as the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, serves notice to down tools from Monday.
Director of Information and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Finance, Mohammed Manga disclosed that the steering committee of the Domestic Crude Oil and Refined Products Sales in Local Currency Initiative met earlier on Sunday to review developments in the downstream oil sector.
Chairman of the committee and Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, said the two recent issues were the purported suspension of the Naira-for-crude oil arrangement by the Dangote Refinery, which he noted had since been amicably resolved, and the concerns raised by PENGASSAN.
Edun stressed that the committee reassured stakeholders that the crude oil-for-naira initiative would continue.
He added that all outstanding issues, particularly the dispute between PENGASSAN and Dangote Refinery, were being addressed with urgency and in good faith.
He reaffirmed that the government remained committed to energy security, consumer protection, and stability in the domestic petroleum products market, stressing that there would be no disruption in supply.
Present at the meeting were the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Mr Zacch Adedeji, who also chairs the technical committee, as well as representatives of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd., Central Bank of Nigeria, Afreximbank, and Dangote Refinery.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has appealed to PENGASSAN to suspend its planned nationwide strike over the dispute with Dangote Refinery.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Mr Muhammad Dingyadi, made the appeal in a statement on Sunday in Abuja. He said the ministry had already initiated moves to reconcile the parties to prevent the crisis from escalating.
“The Ministry of Labour and Employment, through the Director of Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations, has extended invitations to the leadership of PENGASSAN and the management of Dangote Refinery to attend a conciliation meeting in my office on Monday,” Dingyadi said.
He urged both parties to be mindful of the importance of the petroleum sector to the economy.
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“A strike will not only lead to heavy revenue losses but also cause hardship for Nigerians. Its impact on economic stability and national security cannot be underestimated,” he added.
PENGASSAN had earlier announced that its members across offices, companies, institutions, and agencies would halt services beginning from 12:01 a.m. on September 29.
The union alleged that Nigerian workers were dismissed by Dangote Refinery for joining the association, while management also withdrew staff buses and restricted entry for locals but allowed expatriates access.
The union threatened to picket the refinery if the matter was not resolved. Dangote Refinery, on its part, said the restructuring was necessary after alleged acts of sabotage in different units of the refinery, which posed serious risks to human lives and operations.
In a related development, the Trade Union Congress,TUC, of Nigeria has demanded the immediate and unconditional reinstatement of workers allegedly dismissed by Dangote Refinery.
TUC Secretary-General, Mr Nuhu Toro, in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, described the action as anti-worker and unconstitutional.
“The dismissal of workers simply for exercising their constitutional right to freedom of association is a gross violation of Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution and Nigeria’s obligations under ILO conventions,” Toro said.
He added that TUC stood in solidarity with PENGASSAN and the affected workers, warning that affiliates had been placed on red alert pending further directives.
“No corporation, regardless of its size or wealth, will be allowed to trample on the dignity and rights of Nigerian workers,” he added.
Toro demanded a public apology from Dangote management, along with assurances against future victimisation.
He also called for an independent investigation involving the Ministry of Labour, the ILO, and other stakeholders into the refinery’s labour practices.
He warned that the TUC would not hesitate to mobilise for national industrial action if its demands were ignored.
Crediblenewsng.com
