The Nigerian government has called for caution and restraint in the labour war between the Dangote Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), adding that Nigeria is too big to be held to ransom.
“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,” Vice President Kashim Shettima affirmed at the launch of the 31st edition of the Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja on Monday.
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“This is a refinery financed through a combination of equity investment, debt finance, and loans from both local and foreign banks. The refinery has to function to salvage the debt, and we cannot hold the whole nation to ransom for issues that can be amicably settled across the table,” he added.
Mr Shetttima was alluding to the labour dispute that erupted last month after the world’s biggest single-train refinery, located in Lagos, showed about 800 Nigerian staff members the exit door for their alleged participation in acts of sabotage. The company claimed that such practices have also raised safety concerns in its operations.
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The strike that ensued from the clash, which was called off last Wednesday, cost the country 200,000 barrels per day and billions of naira, state-owned NNPC Limited disclosed on Monday.
Mr Shettima said Nigeria will continue to take steps to protect the oil & gas industry and ensure industrial harmony for the good of the nation.
The vice president commended Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man and the owner of the plant, for his grand effort in situating the refinery in Nigeria when other big investors could have chosen to invest their capital in more lucrative markets.
“Aliko Dangote, he’s not an individual, he’s an institution, and he’s a leading light in Nigeria’s economic parliament. And how we treat this gentleman will determine how outsiders will judge us,” Mr Shettima said.
READ ALSO: UPDATED: Nigeria lost billions of naira to last PENGASSAN strike NNPC chief
The vice president added that if he had invested $10 billion in Microsoft, in Amazon, or in Google, he probably 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 interests of this great Nigeria.”
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