By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
The Federal Government has waded into the crisis between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and Dangote Refinery, summoning both parties to an emergency meeting.
The intervention comes as PENGASSAN threatened to begin a nationwide strike on Monday over the dismissal of at least 800 workers at the refinery.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Maigari Dingyadi, through ministry spokesperson Patience Onuobia, announced on Sunday that the meeting would hold at the ministry’s headquarters.
Dingyadi appealed to the union to suspend its planned strike, warning that such action could destabilize the economy and worsen hardship for Nigerians.
He emphasized that the petroleum sector remains the backbone of the nation’s economy, stressing that disruptions could have grave consequences on national security.
The ministry explained that the conciliation meeting is aimed at creating a peaceful platform to resolve the dispute to the satisfaction of all stakeholders.
“The strike will not only lead to heavy revenue losses but also cause more hardship and difficulties for Nigerians,” Dingyadi cautioned.
The Minister assured that government would act in the national interest to ensure a fair resolution.
The crisis escalated on Sunday when PENGASSAN directed members nationwide to withdraw their services starting Monday.
Both parties are expected to appear before the Minister on Monday for reconciliation talks.