The reconciliation meeting facilitated by the Nigerian government between Dangote refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to resolve their ongoing dispute ended in deadlock Monday night.
According to Premium Times, the meeting, chaired by minister of labour and employment, Mr Muhammad Dingyadi, brought together key stakeholders, including PENGASSAN leadership, Dangote refinery management, the minister of finance and directors from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The meeting, held in Abuja initially scheduled for 2:00 p.m., was delayed due to the late arrival of key stakeholders and eventually commenced at approximately 3:50 p.m. It stretched into the late hours, ultimately breaking up just a few minutes after midnight without reaching any agreement.
However, it was learnt that talks between the government and parties involved are expected to resume at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday 30 September.
Speaking at the opening of the meeting, Mr Dingyadi said that the meeting was crucial to ensure that the dispute does not have adverse effects on the Nigerian population.
PENGASSAN had earlier asked its members to disrupt activities at the refinery by blocking gas supply to it.
The association said its decision was in response to the decision 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.
In a swift response, 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 Dangote refinery.
In a statement, Dingyadi said the ministry had already initiated moves to reconcile the parties to prevent the crisis from escalating.
Earlier, the National Industrial Court, Abuja, issued an interim order stopping PENGASSAN from continuing with its nationwide industrial action against the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals.
The court also restrained PENGASSAN from cutting crude and gas supply to Dangote refinery.
On Monday, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) directed all its affiliate unions to immediately commence mobilisation and preparations for industrial action against the Dangote Group.
