Oil and gas expert, Dan Kunle, has dismissed threats by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to shut down Dangote Refinery, insisting the move was an “empty threat” that cannot stop the refinery from operating.
Speaking on ARISE News on Sunday, Kunle declared, “Dangote Refinery is already here to stay. PENGASSAN cannot shut it down. It is an empty threat.”
He assured Nigerians that there would be no shortage of fuel despite the union’s directive. “Let me assure Nigerians, people, the entire country, that there will be no shortage of petroleum products from tomorrow. I can assure this country that Dangote has enough petrol in his reserve, a strategic reserve for the country. And he has enough to pump out for all petrol stations that are booked and are able to get their trucks. All Dangote trucks will deliver to them, any part of the country, and there will be no increase in price,” Kunle said.
He added, “So please, Nigerians should not… they should take my statement to the bank. They should not panic.”
On the ongoing negotiations, Kunle explained that PENGASSAN’s sudden involvement disrupted talks earlier led by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
“NUPENG negotiation is not closed. It is the way PENGASSAN came about suddenly that slowed down that negotiation, and it has compounded the journey. So PENGASSAN came suddenly to request for Dangote Refinery to do what you call check-off deduction in September, with a list which Dangote management never knew where that list was coming from, because none of his staff ever disclosed that they were joining any body, any organisation.”
Addressing allegations of victimisation of workers, Kunle said the refinery had the right to redeploy staff. “If I employ you and give you terms of conditions in my conglomerates, don’t I have rights to transfer you to where I want if I’m rearranging the entire structure of my company?”
He continued, “If a staff in Dangote Refinery was recruited, given letter of employment, he’s been paid when he had no job… and they now say they transfer him to sugar factory, maybe in Numan or anywhere, and he now says they victimise him — okay, let him set up his own sugar factory now or his own refinery and employ his family there. So all these excuses… look, why didn’t PENGASSAN employ that guy in that petition? PENGASSAN should employ him now. He should leave the job of Dangote and go to PENGASSAN. PENGASSAN should be paying salary.”
Kunle also warned that allowing unions to disrupt operations would punish ordinary Nigerians. “Don’t panic, there will be petrol. If PENGASSAN’s members follow the directives and they shut down everywhere, that in itself is a national security matter… It is an indictment of PENGASSAN. That means they want to put the Nigerian people in distress.”
He called on government regulators to play a stronger role. “What is missing in this whole exercise and the country must know this, is that the regulatory body that’s supposed to manage this delicate balance between organised union and private investors… is not doing its job. A $20 billion investment is a mega investment and cannot be toyed with. Even the sovereign status of Nigeria cannot play with the investment. So I believe that government will not allow the strike to take place.”
Kunle urged President Bola Tinubu to act decisively. “President Tinubu has the best chance now as a democrat to review this whole thing and say, look, gentlemen, we cannot continue on this lane. I want this country to grow the GDP… So how are we growing now?”
Reiterating his position, he stressed that PENGASSAN’s plans would not succeed.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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