The Federal Government has stepped in to halt an impending industrial crisis in the oil and gas sector by summoning the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the management of Dangote Refinery to an emergency meeting.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, made the intervention on Sunday, urging the union to suspend its proposed strike slated to begin on Monday.
The action follows PENGASSAN’s dispute with Dangote Refinery.
In a statement issued by the Ministry’s Head of Information and Public Relations, Patience Onuobia, the minister said the government has taken steps to bring both parties to a roundtable in order to prevent the matter from spiraling.
“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 stated.
The minister emphasized that the petroleum sector remains critical to Nigeria’s economic survival, warning that any disruption could have devastating consequences.
“I appeal to both parties to be mindful of the importance of the petroleum sector to the country, being the core of her economy,” he said.
Fears of economic and security fallout
Dingyadi cautioned that a nationwide strike would not only result in heavy revenue losses for the country but also deepen hardship for ordinary Nigerians.
“A strike will not only lead to heavy revenue losses by the country but also cause more hardship and difficulties for Nigerians. Consequentially, it will have adverse impacts, both on economic stability and national security,” the minister warned.
The meeting scheduled for Monday is expected to provide a platform for dialogue, with government officials hoping to broker a truce between the oil workers’ union and the refinery management before industrial action commences.
