Strike: You can’t hold Nigeria hostage, group tells petroleum, gas unions
Omeiza Bilal with agency report
An Abuja-based prominent advocacy group, Vanguard for Credible Representation (VCR), has issued a stern warning to Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), cautioning the unions against actions that could disrupt economic stability and energy security in the country.
Citing unacceptable risks to Nigeria’s stability and development, the Executive Director of the group, Akinloye Olusegun Oyeniyi, in a release on Monday, also urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the dispute over Dangote’s Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered tankers for product distribution.
“We join other Nigerians all over the globe, to beg you to find a way within your statutory powers, to settle this dispute. Your threat of disruption of petroleum, gas and energy security pose unacceptable risks to Nigeria’s stability and therefore not acceptable to us,” Oyeniyi said.
The group stressed that Dangote Refinery’s investment in CNG-powered self-delivery policy, which triggered the latest problem, is not only crucial to Nigeria’s quest for energy self-sufficiency and employment, it also aligns with global decarbonization trends.
VCR also appealed to President Tinubu to mediate between Dangote Refinery and the unions, balancing workers’ legitimate interests with national energy security and economic progress needs; warning that union intransigence might compel the President to invoke statutory powers to protect Nigeria’s citizens.
“We beseech Mr. President to deploy leadership and statesmanship on this matter now and should the unions fail to resolve the dispute amicably, we urge President Tinubu to consider invoking Section 1, Subsection 1 of the Trades Disputes (Essential Services) Act, empowering him to proscribe unions endangering essential services like petroleum, gas and power supplies,” Oyeniyi said.
“Nigeria will not tolerate actions endangering its economic jugular,” the statement warned PENGASSAN, NUPENG, and associated bodies, cautioning that pursuit of “selfish agendas detrimental to national interest” could lead Nigerians to seek lawful redress beyond government intervention. Energy expert perspectives underscore Dangote Refinery’s critical role in Nigeria’s energy landscape, with stakeholders urging regulatory oversight to prevent monopoly concerns while protecting consumers.
The statement concludes with expectations that President Tinubu acts decisively and unions demonstrate patriotism to avert crisis, emphasizing Nigeria’s energy future cannot be collateral in disputes.
