THE FEDERAL Government on Monday berated the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, (PENGASSAN) for holding the whole country to ransom over a minor labour dispute, that would have been amicably settled.
The government is however mute on the illegality of the mass sack of over 800 workers by Dangote Refinery for opting to join PENGASSAN, which is not only constitutional but also protected by extant labour laws and international labour conventions.
The government said the $20 billion Dangote Petroleum Refinery is a national asset that must be supported to function and that the nation owes it to the future generations to jealously protect, promote, preserve and protect the refinery for the interest of this great Nigerian.
Declaring open the 31st edition of the Nigeria Economic Summit (NESG), at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja on Monday, Vice President Kashim Shettima stated the government’s position on the matter, noting that the government will expect far reaching recommendations from the NESG in addressing this issue, even as the government is also taking steps to protect the industries and create industrial harmony for the good of the nation.
Shettima emphasised the critical importance of the 650,000-barrel-per-day Dangote Refinery, declaring that it must be supported at all costs to succeed.
He said: “On this note, I want to dwell on something that is very dear, a very topical issue that is very dear to the heart of every Nigerian. Aliko Dangote is not an individual; he is an institution. And he is a leading light in Nigeria’s economic rejuvenation…and how we treat this gentleman will determine how outsiders will judge us. If he had invested $10 billion in Microsoft, in Amazon, or in Google, probably, he might be worth $70 to $80 billion by now. But he opted to invest in his country, and we owe it to future generations to jealously protect, promote, preserve and protect the interest of this great Nigerian.”
He however called for “…caution, retrospection, and a deeper sense of patriotism from both labour and the organised private sector in defining and improving the relationship between labour and industry in the interest of maintaining our steadily improving economic fortunes…It’s not about holding the whole nation to ransom because of a minor labour dispute. Nigeria is greater than PENGASSAN. Nigeria is greater than each and every one of us.”
In the same vein, the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise has urged the Nigerian government to come up with a policy framework to prevent the unlawful shutdown of businesses in the country. CPPE Chief Executive Officer, Muda Yusuf disclosed this in a recent statement.
According to the economic think-tank, a policy to protect investors is a national economic imperative. CPPE added that the move would further boost and strengthen investors’ confidence and would safeguard investment from labour union disruptions. Protecting investors and employers is not a privilege, it is a national economic imperative. “Investors mobilise capital, create jobs, and generate the tax revenues that sustain government and society. Without them, there can be no sustained growth, no employment, and no national prosperity. Nigeria must, therefore, urgently institutionalise a fair, secure, and predictable business environment that protects those who take risks to create wealth. This is not about weakening labour unions but about balancing rights and responsibilities to foster sustainable economic growth, social stability, and national security,” the statement reads.
Meanwhile Dangote Petroleum Refinery over the weekend expressed profound appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his timely intervention in averting what it described as “the disruptive actions of PENGASSAN” against the company.
The company in a statement said the President’s leadership, through his ministers and senior government officials, ensured the restoration of order and stability to the energy sector at a critical moment.
“Dangote Refinery is grateful to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, HE Bola Tinubu, GCFR for his intervention, through his Ministers and senior officials, which resulted in the abatement of the disruptive actions of PENGASSAN against the Refinery,” the statement read.
According to the company, among the key government officials who worked “tirelessly” to restore normalcy were Nigeria’s Security Chiefs, led by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Adeola Toyin Ajayi; and the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Mr. Mohammed Mohammed.
The company also commended the efforts of other senior government officials who worked “untiringly and determinedly into the wee hours of several nights to avert the declared disruption of Nigeria’s energy sector by anarchists and agents of darkness.” These, it said, included the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Mohammed Dingyadi; the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun; the Honourable Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu; and the Honourable Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha.
“We remain very grateful to these officials for their patriotism and national service,” it added.
Dangote Refinery extended heartfelt gratitude to Nigerians for their overwhelming public support during the crisis.
