The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring uninterrupted supply of refined petroleum products across Nigeria.
This assurance was contained in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by Mohammed Manga, Director of Information and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Finance.
According to the statement, the Steering Committee of the Domestic Crude Oil and Refined Products Sales in Local Currency Initiative met earlier in the day to review developments in the downstream oil sector.
Mr. Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, who chaired the meeting, addressed concerns about the reported suspension of the Naira-for-crude arrangement by the Dangote Refinery. He confirmed that the issue had been resolved amicably and that the initiative would continue.
Edun further disclosed that the grievances raised by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) against the refinery were being addressed urgently and in good faith. He assured that there would be no disruption in petroleum product supply, stressing that the government remained committed to energy security, consumer protection, and market stability.
The meeting was attended by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu; the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji, who also heads the Technical Committee; as well as representatives of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd., Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Afreximbank, and the Dangote Refinery.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that PENGASSAN had earlier declared a nationwide strike effective September 29, over the alleged sack of more than 800 Nigerian workers at the refinery. The union also accused the management of withdrawing staff buses and restricting access to local employees while granting expatriates entry.
PENGASSAN threatened to picket the refinery if its demands were not met. Dangote Refinery, however, defended its restructuring exercise, claiming it was necessary to prevent further sabotage, which posed serious risks to operations and human lives.