The Vice President of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shettima, has called for greater restraint in handling the faceoff between Dangote Refinery and oil workers under the aegis of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
He asserted that Dangote Refinery is a national asset that must be protected.
Speaking on Monday in Abuja at the Nigerian Economic Summit (NES31), Shettima minced no words when he declared that Aliko Dangote is more than an individual; he’s an institution.
The Vice President of Nigeria added that Nigeria is greater than PENGASSAN, and labour unions must not be allowed to hold the entire country to ransom.
Speaking further, Shettima said the way the dispute between Dangote and PENGASSAN is managed would send a clear message to investors not only in the country’s oil sector, but across all sectors of the economy.
Speaking on the theme, “The Reform Imperative: Building a Prosperous and Inclusive Nigeria by 2030,” the Vice President called for the protection of Dangote Refinery from economic sabotage.
He said, “Aliko Dangote is 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. If he had invested $10 billion in Microsoft, Amazon, or 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.
“I wish to call 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.”
Naijaonpoint reports that Shettima’s comment comes on the heels of the industrial action by oil workers under the aegis of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) over a lingering dispute with Dangote Refinery over the right of workers to unionize and the Refinery’s decision to sack hundreds of workers.
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