A reconciliation meeting between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN) and Dangote Refinery, brokered by the Federal Government, has ended in a stalemate.
The meeting, which lasted about nine hours, started at 4 p.m. on Monday and continued into the early hours of Tuesday.
The conflict between PENGASSAN and Dangote Refinery revolved around unresolved labour issues, particularly the alleged unlawful sacking of about 800 workers by the refinery.
PENGASSAN has accused Dangote Refinery of anti-labour practices, while the refinery claims its restructuring exercise is in line with global best practices.
The meeting, attended by Minister of Labour and Employment Mohammed Dingyadi and Minister of State for Labour and Employment Nkiruka Onyejeocha, aimed to resolve the dispute amicably.
Despite the prolonged discussion, both parties failed to reach an agreement.
Dingyadi announced that the meeting would reconvene at 2 p.m. on Tuesday to resolve the deadlock.
The stalemate prolonged the dispute, which threatens the nation’s energy stability.
With PENGASSAN defying a court order restraining it from cutting crude and gas supply to Dangote Refinery, concerns are mounting about potential disruptions to operations at the refinery and the ripple effect on petroleum product supply across the country.
The next round of talks would determine whether a compromise could be reached to avert a full-blown industrial crisis in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
The Federal Government says it remained committed to resolving the dispute, emphasizing the importance of industrial peace in the sector.
