Members of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and management of Dangote Group have been advised to follow the path of peace in resolving the contentious issues around fuel supply and availability in the country.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, who made the appeal in his opening remarks at the conciliatory meeting between the two warring parties in the Conference room of the ministry on Monday, noting that the matter at stake is important to the peace and stability of the country.
The minister said: “We are here to try and reconciliate our labour unions in the oil industry and the employers in Dangote Group.
“This is not the first time we are having this kind of dispute and we believe that by the time we sit down with parties involved we should be able to settle them.
“We should be able to resolve the issues within the limits of what is possible. We believe that the gentlemen who are here today will assist us and I can see the level of commitment In them to see that we resolve these issues
“We want to appeal to all parties concerned to this meeting to please try to be peaceful, to please try to be as accommodating as possible.
“It’s only when we are able to accommodate each others views that we can reach an agreement.
“What we are discussing today is very important to the peace and stability of the country and our economy.
“The oil industry is not a sector that we will play with and it is very important for the economy of our country and our people.
“Please, I want to appeal to all of us to try as much as possible to have a listening ear and ready to contribute to resolution of this matter.”
The appeal came even as the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) expressed its desire to back NUPENG against what the union described as “struggle against monopolistic and anti-competition practices being advanced in the downstream oil and gas sector.”
In a statement signed by its national president, Yusuf Lawal Othman, Monday, NARTO, while acknowledging that the injection of new trucks into the downstream sector of the petroleum sector is a welcome development, said the move by Dangote refinery is an attempt to push them out of business.
He said, “While we recognize and appreciate the injection of new trucks and other investments into the petroleum distribution value chain, we must state categorically that NARTO strongly and unequivocally rejects any plan for free distribution of petroleum products. Such an approach is not only unsustainable but is also a deliberate attempt to undermine and eliminate the thousands of independent transporters who form the backbone of Nigeria‘s petroleum distribution network.
“At present, NARTO members collectively operate more than 30,000 trucks across the country, employing thousands of drivers, assistants, and service providers. These operations sustain millions of dependents and are supported by financial commitments from both local and international banks, as well as marketers and depot owners.”
Speaking at a joint press briefing on Monday in Abuja, the president Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria (NOGASA) Bennet Korie insisted that it would not hesitate in teaming up with the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) if the matter is not quickly resolved.
“We will lose all our business. We don’t want to sack one single staff, or one single of our workers.
“We don’t want to sack anyone. And that’s why we are crying now for the government to come into this matter, resolve this matter and make it clear,” he said.