The Federal Government has convened an emergency closed-door meeting to resolve the ongoing feud between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the management of Dangote Refinery.

The meeting was called by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammad Maigari Dingyadi, and is being held at the Minister’s Conference Hall in Abuja.

In his opening remarks, Minister Dingyadi underscored the critical nature of the dispute, stating, “What’s happening today is very dear to our economy and to the security of our country. We have been informed that PENGASSAN is on strike.”

The PENGASSAN delegation was led by its President, Comrade Festus Osifo, and the General-Secretary of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Dr. Nuhu Toro. They faced the government team led by Minister Dingyadi and representatives from the Dangote Refinery.

The meeting, initially scheduled for 2:00 PM, experienced a significant delay, commencing at approximately 3:50 PM due to the late arrival of key stakeholders. Shortly after the opening formalities, the session proceeded behind closed doors for detailed discussions.

This intervention follows the federal government’s summons on Sunday, calling for an urgent resolution to the industrial rift between the union and the refinery management.