Dangote: “If Someone Says He Is Crazy, We Are Going To Tell Him We Are Much Crazier” – PENGASSAN

Sunnex Egbu

3 hours ago

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has insinuated that they have a score to settle with Dangote Refinery over issues surrounding the unionization of its workers.

This position was made known by the president of PENGASSAN, Festus Osifo, while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics amid the ongoing faceoff between the union and Dangote Refinery.

He, however, assured that the planned strike by the union will not lead to petrol scarcity in Nigeria.

Naijaonpoint recalls that the union had directed its members nationwide to withdraw their services over the alleged mass dismissal of Nigerian workers by the Dangote Refinery.

Osifo confirmed that PENGASSAN had shut down gas supply to the refineries, but clarified that it wouldn’t result in immediate fuel scarcity or return of queues at the filling stations.

He also called on the federal government to call Dangote refinery to order.

“I want us to disaggregate what the effect would be. The effect, as of today, as of tomorrow, even by next weekend, is not going to dovetail into Nigerians queuing to buy PMS. It won’t dovetail into that.

“Yes, as we speak, we have cut the supply of gas to the refineries, the fertilisers, and all that. Yes, we have done that because if someone says he is crazy, we are going to tell him that we are the goose that laid the golden egg — that we are much crazier,” he said.

Naijaonpoint reports that, as a result of the current impasse, the federal government has summoned both parties to a roundtable discussion as part of its efforts to reach an amicable resolution.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, who made this known on Sunday, disclosed that invitations have been extended to both the leadership of PENGASSAN and Dangote Refinery management to attend an emergency meeting in his office on Monday for the conciliation of their dispute.

Reacting to the overture, Osifo confirmed on Sunday that PENGASSAN would attend the scheduled meeting, but insisted that one of their major demands is the total recall of workers sacked by the Dangote Refinery.

“We have been call to a meeting tomorrow in the Federal Ministry of Labour and we are going to attend that meeting.

“Our position is very clear, you cannot send close to 1000 Nigerians to the streets like that because they are exercising their rights to unionise,” he added.