The Federal Government on Monday cautioned both labour union and other trade unions against attacking the 650,000-barrel-per-day Dangote Petroleum Refinery, declaring that it is a national asset that must be protected and supported at all costs to succeed.
The government’s position was conveyed by Vice President Kashim Shettima during the opening ceremony of the Nigerian Economic Summit (NES31) themed: “The Reform Imperative: Building a Prosperous and Inclusive Nigeria by 2030”.
VP Shettima while stating that Dangote Refinery must be protected at all cost, he added that the $20 billion facility is a national asset that must be supported to function.
He emphasised ” Nigeria is bigger than any trade union. Nigeria is greater than PENGASSAN. Nigeria is greater than each and every one of us. I’m not talking to you as a partisan.”
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 dispute with the 650,000 barrels per day Dangote Refinery.
His words: “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.”