Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

A coalition of civil society organisations has applauded the ruling of the National Industrial Court in Abuja halting the planned strike by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) against the Dangote Refinery.

The group, operating under the aegis of the Coalition for the Defence of Economic Rights (CODER), described the interim order as ‘a victory for the rule of law and economic stability.’

In a statement issued after an emergency meeting on Monday night and signed by its president, Comrade Babajide Oresanya, CODER urged all parties to respect the court’s decision and allow due process to take its course.

‘We hail the decision of the court under Justice Emmanuel Sublim to stop the strike and preserve the integrity of our economy,’ Oresanya said.

He added that the planned action, if it had gone ahead, could have disrupted operations at the Dangote Refinery and inflicted serious damage on the livelihoods of ordinary Nigerians.

‘The judiciary has once again risen to the occasion by protecting both the rule of law and the national interest,’ he said.

The coalition further cautioned that industrial unions must avoid actions capable of undermining national development or the survival of critical infrastructure.

‘While we recognise and respect the constitutional right of workers to organise and press their demands, such rights must be exercised responsibly and within the bounds of the law. The refinery is not just a private enterprise; it is a strategic national asset with implications for energy security, job creation, and the wider economy,’ CODER stated.

Oresanya urged PENGASSAN to retrace its steps and embrace constructive dialogue rather than confrontation.

He also commended the federal government for responding swiftly by meeting with PENGASSAN and regulatory agencies such as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), while urging stakeholders to abide strictly by the interim order of the court.

‘The court has spoken. Any attempt to flout this order would amount to contempt and could further escalate the situation. Nigerians are watching, and what the country needs at this moment is stability, not conflict. Respect for the judiciary is non-negotiable,’ Oresanya stressed.

The coalition also expressed concern that the controversy surrounding PENGASSAN’s allegations against the refinery could distract from the broader national goal of energy sufficiency.

‘Independent investigations and facts available to us show that the Dangote Refinery has been a net creator of jobs, both directly and indirectly. Rather than making unsubstantiated allegations, the union should channel energy into ensuring that the refinery delivers optimally and contributes to reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported petroleum products,’ CODER noted.

CODER concluded by calling on Nigerians to remain calm and trust in the judicial process.

‘The interim order is only the first step. The substantive matter will be heard on October 13, and we are confident that the court will dispense justice in line with the facts presented. What is most important now is that all parties submit to the authority of the court and allow reason to prevail,’ Oresanya added.

Earlier on Monday, the National Industrial Court had restrained PENGASSAN from proceeding with its nationwide strike after counsel to the Dangote Refinery, George Ibrahim, filed an ex-parte application.

Justice Sublim ruled that the strike could cause irreparable harm to the economy and ordered all parties to maintain the status quo until the substantive case is heard.

An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Tuesday sentenced Femi Ayoade, a 22-year-old graduate, to life imprisonment for defiling a four-year-old girl inside a tricycle.

Justice Abiola Soladoye delivered the judgment, stating that the prosecution had proven the one-count charge of defilement beyond a reasonable doubt.

The judge described Ayoade as a criminally audacious man who shamelessly turned a child’s vagina into a playground.

‘The prosecution has successfully presented compelling evidence against the defendant.

‘Consequently, the defendant is hereby found guilty of the charge of defilement and is sentenced to life imprisonment,’ Justice Soladoye ruled.

The judge further ordered that the convict’s name be entered into the Lagos State Sexual Offences Register.

The State Counsel, Mrs Olufunke Alebiosu, presented the survivor and her father as key witnesses.

The convict committed the offence in September 2021 at No. 19, Milestone Close, Infinity Estate, Skido Bus Stop, Eti-Osa, Lagos.

In this exclusive interview with CHRISTIAN APPOLOS, Comrade Benson Upah, the Acting General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), explains what led to the ongoing face-off between Dangote Refinery and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), and why the right of workers to unionise must never be compromised.

Talking about the Dangote Refinery/NUPENG ongoing face-off, what actually ignited the crisis?

The crux of the matter is that Dangote Refinery refused to allow its employees to join existing trade unions. Initially, NUPENG had begun discussions with the refinery’s management about its intention to unionise workers. There was some engagement at first, but along the line, the process was abruptly halted because Dangote Refinery began taking steps to set up its own union for the workers.

The labour law is very clear: an employer cannot establish a union for workers. At that point, relations between the refinery’s management and NUPENG broke down, and NUPENG threatened to embark on strike action. The matter was later apprehended by the Minister of Labour and Employment. That, in summary, is what led to this current dispute.

At what point, if any, did NUPENG exceed its rights in this dispute?

I was privileged to lead the labour team that met with the Ministers of Labour and Employment, Dangote Refinery representatives, industry regulators, and other stakeholders. From what transpired at that meeting on September 8, it was very clear that NUPENG acted entirely within its legal rights to unionize employees of the refinery.

Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution (1999, as amended) guarantees every citizen the right to form or join associations and unions. The Labour Act also explicitly protects the right of workers to freely join unions. Beyond our national laws, international instruments such as ILO Conventions 87 and 98, as well as the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, provide robust protections for workers’ right to unionise and engage in collective bargaining.

There are also precedents. All four state-owned refineries and virtually every oil company operating in Nigeria have unions. Why should Dangote Refinery be treated differently? The law even recognizes the right of unions to take industrial action as a legitimate bargaining tool. In essence, NUPENG did not, at any point, go beyond its constitutional and legal mandate.

During the meeting with Dangote Refinery management, what reasons were given for refusing to allow workers to join NUPENG or any other union?

The management of Dangote Refinery was very direct during the meeting, which lasted several hours. They insisted that NUPENG would not be allowed to unionize their workers for two main reasons.

First, they claimed they already provide excellent welfare for their employees:good pay, pension schemes, health insurance, and other benefits, and therefore saw no need for union representation. We made it clear to them that NUPENG is not an employer of labour. Its role is to unionize workers and collectively defend their rights and interests, not to replace management functions.

Second, they argued that the refinery is located in an Export Processing Zone (EPZ). In fact, they bluntly stated that the refinery is ‘not on Nigerian territory,’ suggesting that Nigerian labour laws do not fully apply there. We challenged this position by asking whether the law that created EPZs suspended the Nigerian Constitution or Labour Act in those zones. If they truly believe national laws do not apply, then they must accept that international labour laws take precedence, and those laws also guarantee workers’ right to unionize.

In the end, Dangote Refinery could not provide any proof that the Nigerian Constitution or labour laws are suspended in EPZs. Their argument simply fell flat.

Does an employer have the right to stop employees from joining a union or form a union on their behalf? Can a union freely approach a company to organize its workers?

As I pointed out earlier, the law is very clear on this matter. Employers have no right whatsoever to seduce, coerce, or manipulate workers into joining or not joining a union. They also cannot form or dictate the creation of a union for workers.

If an employer, for example, tells workers, ‘If you don’t join a union, I will pay you N80,000, but if you do, I’ll reduce your pay or sack you,’ that is outright coercion and illegal. Workers must be free to decide voluntarily whether to belong to a union, without threats or inducements.

Likewise, employers cannot create obstacles to prevent union officials from accessing workplaces to interact with workers. That would constitute a direct violation of labour laws. To put it plainly, NUPENG was fully within its legal rights to engage Dangote Refinery in an effort to unionize its workers. Dangote Refinery, on the other hand, has no right to stop this process or to establish a parallel union for its employees. Doing so is a clear breach of the law.

What would happen if employers were allowed to stop workers from joining unions or form their own unions for workers?

It would result in the highest level of impunity. It would turn the Nigerian Constitution on its head, lead to widespread injustice, and open the door to systematic manipulation and abuse of workers’ rights.

During the meeting with the Ministers of Labour, a member of the Dangote delegation even argued that trade unions should not exist in the refinery because the project was ‘birthed by reforms.’ He went further to claim that unions were responsible for the collapse of Nigeria’s existing refineries and would harm the Dangote Refinery.

We made it clear that such arguments were completely false and historically inaccurate. Reforms, whether moderate, liberal, or radical, do not erase workers’ rights or unions. In fact, unions are vital in market economies. Look at advanced economies like the United States, the UK, France, Japan, and Canada. Unions exist in every sector, from manufacturing to domestic services.

As for Nigeria’s refineries, workers were not responsible for their collapse. The real culprits were those behind fraudulent turnaround maintenance scams and destructive policies. Even now, during the ongoing probe of the NNPC, how many workers have been summoned to testify? None. Regarding the textile industry, it collapsed due to three main factors: dumping of foreign products, rising energy costs, and lack of innovation, none of which were caused by workers. In fact, unions fought against these very policies.

It is completely unfair to demonize unions or workers just to keep them out of the Dangote Refinery. We reminded Dangote’s team that unions even supported him in the past when he faced obstacles. We advocated for the government to assist him so the refinery could succeed and help make petroleum products available to Nigerians at affordable costs. Our goal has never been to undermine his business but to see it grow in line with the law.

Why do unions exist in the first place? What role do they play for workers?

Unions exist to protect the interests of workers through collective bargaining and social dialogue. This goes beyond wages to include pensions, health and safety, job security, and dignity in the workplace.

Historically, unions have been central to the development of capitalism. Social welfare policies such as unemployment benefits and subsidies, which unions fight for, are what keep economies stable. Without these protections, public anger would boil over into unrest or revolutions. That’s why countries like the US and the UK maintain welfare systems, even though they often advise countries like Nigeria to remove subsidies. These measures are not acts of charity; they are designed to maintain stability.

Why is it important for the government to protect unions’ right to organize workers?

The government has a constitutional duty to protect its citizens and their rights. It must also ensure that national laws are enforced and that institutions function effectively. When the government fails in this duty, chaos and self-help will take over.

Unfortunately, we often see governments prioritize foreign investors over the rights of their citizens, as though investment must come at any cost. This is both wrong and dangerous. Foreign investment, like any investment, must operate under the laws of the host country. Ironically, the very countries these investors come from have vibrant unions and frequent protests. If the capital is not afraid of unions there, it should not be afraid of unions here.

The government must therefore defend the constitutional rights of its citizens, ensure the rule of law is upheld, and never trade away those rights under the guise of attracting foreign investment.

Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri has said he wants Nigeria to ‘keep happening’ to him.

This is in response to online conversations around the phrase ‘Nigeria happened,’ which resurfaced after late ARISE News correspondent Somtochukwu Maduagwu used it in a post before her death in a robbery attack at her Abuja home.

In a post made on X on Tuesday, Omokri said the phrase is often used to describe the country negatively.

‘May Nigeria happen to me and keep happening to me as long as I live! When bad things happen, enemies of this country are quick to say that ‘Nigeria has happened’ to them. But they take the good that occurs to them in Nigeria personally, without attributing it to our great nation,’ he wrote.

Omokri noted that unpleasant events occur everywhere in the world but argued that Nigeria’s progress is often ignored.

He added, ‘Good and bad are as universal as day and night and are part of the ying yang of human existence. This is Earth. This is not heaven! Earth is an imperfect place, which is why unpleasant things can sometimes happen.’

‘Please fact-check me: Every year in America, 20,000 people are murdered. That is more than twice the murder rate in Nigeria. Have you ever heard Americans badmouthing their country as a result of this?’

He cited the rollout of federal government student loans, improvements in electricity generation, a drop in inflation, and the country’s emergence as a net exporter of petrol as examples of positive changes.

He also listed recent government actions adding, ‘600,000 Nigerians have gotten student loans from the Federal Government to attend universities under Tinubu. Is that not also Nigeria happening to Nigerians positively?’

‘Food prices have dropped nationwide. In 1975, inflation was above 40%. Today, it is 20.12%, a 1.76% drop from July’s 21.88%. How many countries on Earth today are moving inflation behind? Look at Argentina, which Peter Obi praised. Today, their economy is ‘in shambles,’ to borrow from Davido!’

‘The electricity situation has vastly improved, and Nigeria broke its power generation record with a peak generation of 5,801.84MW and maximum daily energy output of 128,370.75 megawatt-hours (MWh), the highest ever attained in the history of the electricity industry in Nigeria. Is that not Nigeria happening?’

‘Nigeria is now a net exporter of petrol. Please fact-check me: When President Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023, Nigeria was Africa’s largest petrol importer.

‘Today, South Africa is Africa’s largest fuel importer. Nigeria’s fuel imports have drastically reduced. Not only that, according to the International Energy Agency, Nigeria has now emerged as the largest exporter of refined petroleum products in West Africa. This has seen fuel prices drop.

‘Only three civilian governments have achieved that. Yar’adua, Jonathan and now Tinubu. That is also Nigeria happening to us!’

‘Nigeria is a great country, but it is not perfect because perfection is divine. There is no ideal country on Earth. We can choose to look at the negatives, but there are many positive things happening in Nigeria that we refuse to project because we love bad news!’ he concluded.

THE Federal Government’s rebuttal of reports of genocide against Christians in the country received a boost on Monday as former British diplomat Mr David Roberts dismissed the report as false.

Roberts, who served as a director of the British Council in Abuja for several years, stated that the country’s security challenges had been exaggerated by Western interest groups and the media, warning against escalating the situation with inaccurate reports.

‘Yes, there are security challenges in Nigeria but those issues have affected the country from the pre-colonial, colonial, and now the post-colonial periods,’ he stated, adding:, ‘Ample evidence exists to show that the Nigerian government is de-escalating the violence.’

Based on a viral video in which a man with a Nigerian accent claimed that over 500,000 Christians were killed in the country last year, Mr Bill Maher, a comedian who hosts the longest-running talk show in the US, Real Time with Bill Maher, asserted that a systematic genocide was happening in Nigeria.

The video was circulated by international X influencers, including Radio Genoa, an anti-Islamic personality, who stokes negative sentiments against the Muslim faith.

However, minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Mohammed Idris, and a former presidential aide, Mr Reno Omokri, on Sunday refuted the claims as false.

Roberts upheld Idris’ and Omokri’s rebuttals and contended that the genocide reports were skewed, explaining that both the Christian and Muslim faiths are victims of the age-long violence.

He stated: ‘I lived in Nigeria as a British diplomat and toured the entire country. It is ridiculous for anyone even to suggest that half a million people were killed as part of genocide against Christians in Nigeria by Muslims last year alone.

‘And this is not just some Christian genocide. In fact, more Muslims are killed in these attacks in Nigeria than Christians, a fact highlighted by the Institute for Economics and Peace in their annual Global Terrorism Index.’, he said.

He urged Western nations and their media to be mindful of the reportage in order not to ignite a crisis that will result in a greater flood of refugees from West Africa turning up in Europe through the Mediterranean.

The member representing Ibadan North-West/Ibadan South-West federal constituency of Oyo state in the House of Representatives, Hon. Adedeji Dhikrullahi Stanley Olajide, has declared that the ongoing congresses of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) across the country signify a fresh beginning that will reposition the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking with journalists in Ibadan at the Oyo State PDP congress, held at the basketball court of Lekan Salami stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan, Olajide described the exercise as ‘the birth of a new PDP,’ stressing that the reforms being witnessed across the 33 state chapters of the PDP across Nigeria are signs of laying a solid foundation for a stronger and more united political family.

He noted that despite the turbulence of recent years, the PDP had weathered the storm and was poised to reclaim its pride of place in Nigeria’s national politics.

According to him, the party remains the most experienced political organisation in Nigeria, having mastered the democratic process over the years.

He emphasised that PDP had learned from its past and was now embracing a new era of stability and inclusiveness.

‘PDP is not a rookie party. We have been in this process longer than any other political party. Politics is our business, we have learnt it, we have mastered it. Gone are the days when violence was the order of the day. This is a new dawn for Nigeria,’ he said.

Olajide likened the rebuilding process of the PDP to the birth of a new baby, insisting that by November, after the party’s national convention, Nigerians would witness a fully repositioned PDP ready to drive fresh ideas and initiatives for the nation. ‘PDP is the right movement, the right platform and the right form of energy for anyone who truly wants to move this nation forward. With leaders like Governor Seyi Makinde and others providing direction, the best is yet to come,’ he declared.

Speaking on reconciliation efforts within the party, the federal lawmaker dismissed fears that the congresses might alienate some leaders, describing such concerns as exaggerated. He maintained that politics is a game of alignment and re-alignment, stressing that dissenting voices would eventually key into the new momentum sweeping across the PDP. ‘Politics is like a moving train, when it is slow, you can hop on easily, but when it gains speed, you risk being left behind. Some of those you describe as aggrieved will eventually come on board.’

‘There was a time it was very frustrating, when we could not even see light at the end of the tunnel. But gradually, things began to turn around. Now momentum is gathering, not only in Oyo, but also in Lagos, Ondo, the North and across Nigeria. The positive energy we are witnessing shows that good things are about to happen,’

He called on party faithful nationwide to remain steadfast, united and hopeful as the PDP marches towards its national convention and assured that the outcome of the exercise will herald a new dawn for Nigeria’s political landscape, adding that the party was ready to provide the kind of leadership Nigerians desire as the country prepares for another electoral cycle.

The Owa Obokun Adimula and paramount ruler of Ijesaland, Oba Clement Adesuyi Haastrup, Ajimoko III, has announced the removal of Chief Busuyi Gbadamosi, as the Oba-Odo of Ilesa.

The Owa, in a statement signed by Chief Shola Oshunkeye, for the palace, explained that the decision to remove Chief Gbadamosi was informed by his alleged ‘unlawful removal of two electric transformers, 300KVA and 500KVA respectively, from the post office in Atakumosa market, IKEA, sometimes in 2023.’

The statement further recalled that the previous Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Dr. Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran II, had rebuked Chief Busuyi Gbadamosi for carting away the two transformers without his permission and that of the affected communities, namely: Araromi, Adeti, palace and Odo Osunmu, which the two electrical equipment served.

It explained that all efforts, made by the previous Owa, to ensure that Chief Gbadamosi returned the transformers were thwarted.

‘Consequent upon the installation and coronation of the current Owa Obokun, a Committee on Resolution of Chieftaincy Disputes, Land and Sundry Matters was set up.

‘Among the petitions received by the committee was one written and submitted by members of the above-mentioned communities against Chief Gbadamosi, accusing him of illegally and unlawfully removing the said transformers. Consequently, Chief Gbadamosi was invited to appear before the committee to state his side of the story and explain the whereabouts of the two transformers,’ the palace stated.

During the committee’s sitting, the Iyaloja of Atakumosa market, Chief (Mrs.) Awe and the youth leader of Araromi community was said to have given evidence against him, narrating to the committee how Chief Gbadamosi had sent two emissaries to her, asking her to append her signature to a document confirming the sale of the two transformers and that, in return, he would give her #750,000.00 (Seven hundred and fifty thousand naira only) from the proceeds of the sale. But Mrs. Awe was said to have rejected the offer and declined to sign the documents.

When questioned, Chief Gbadamosi was said to have confessed selling one of the two transformers, specifically the one of 300KVA, for N120,000, adding that he used the proceed to transport the second transformer (500KVA ) to Ibadan, Oyo State, for repairs.

Chief Gbadamosi was said to have been given 30 days within which to retrieve the two transformers and return them to where they were previously installed at the post office, but failed to retrieve and return the transformers.

New research has found that one inhaler containing two drugs can cut the risk of asthma attacks by almost half, giving hope to an estimated millions of families worldwide.

This new study, termed the CARE (Children’s Anti-inflammatory REliever) trial, the first randomised controlled investigation to directly compare the effectiveness of a budesonide-formoterol 2-in-1 inhaler against traditional salbutamol, revealed that this 2-in-1 inhaler is not only safe but also works for five-year-olds and younger.

The results show that using a single 2-in-1 anti-inflammatory reliever inhaler, which combines the inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) budesonide and the fast-acting bronchodilator formoterol, reduced children’s asthma attacks by an average of 45%, compared to the widely used salbutamol inhaler.

Asthma is the most prevalent long-term childhood illness, with around 113 million young people worldwide thought to be affected. The attacks can be fatal, so preventing them is as vital as alleviating them.

For decades, salbutamol inhalers have been the cornerstone of asthma symptom relief for children aged five to fifteen, despite increasingly compelling evidence supporting alternative treatments in adults. It rapidly expands the airways but doesn’t do much to stop swelling.

The CARE study was undertaken by the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand in collaboration with Imperial College London, University of Otago, Wellington, Starship Children’s Hospital, and the University of Auckland.

Researchers followed 360 New Zealand children aged between 5 and 15 years for a year. Half of them were told to take the combined budesonide-formoterol inhaler every time they experienced symptoms. The control group utilised the standard salbutamol inhaler.

Children on the combined inhaler, on average, experienced 0.23 attacks per year, while children on salbutamol experienced 0.41 attacks. Simply put, if 100 children made the change from salbutamol to the new alternative, 18 attacks would be prevented per year.

Equally as important, no other safety problems were found in the study. Side effect rates were effectively identical in both groups, and there were no differences in lung function, growth, or overall asthma control.

Researchers say the findings, published today in The Lancet, provide the evidence needed to bring children’s global asthma guidelines into line with adults’, which could benefit millions of children around the world with mild-to-moderate asthma.

Dr. Lee Hatter, first author of the study and Senior Clinical Research Fellow at Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, called the results a breakthrough.

Hatter declared: ‘For the first time, we have demonstrated that the budesonide-formoterol 2-in-1 inhaler, used as needed for relief of symptoms, can markedly prevent asthma attacks in children with mild asthma. This evidence-based treatment has the potential to lead to improved asthma outcomes in children globally.’

In a remark, Dr Andrew Bush, a senior respiratory paediatrics consultant at Imperial College London and one of the researchers behind the study, said: ‘I am thrilled that we have been able to show that an inhaler that significantly halves attacks-a breakthrough in itself for adults-is safe for children with mild asthma too. We believe this will transform the management of asthma worldwide.’

The CARE study has the potential to alter the way asthma in children is treated across the world. By proving that a single inhaler can both treat symptoms and prevent attacks, the study supports combining pediatric with adult recommendations.

After over nine hours of intense negotiations, the high-level conciliation meeting between the Federal Government, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), and the Dangote Group ended in a deadlock late last night, leaving the fate of over 800 sacked workers hanging in the balance and the ongoing nationwide industrial action unresolved.

The meeting, convened by the Federal Government to avert further disruption to Nigeria’s energy sector, was attended by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun; the Minister of Labour and Employment, Alhaji Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi; PENGASSAN delegates led by its President, Comrade Festus Osifo; and top representatives of the Dangote Group.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Comrade Osifo expressed deep disappointment over the failure to reach an agreement, stressing that the union’s position remained firm on the immediate reinstatement of the 800 workers dismissed by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

‘We have been here for nine hours trying to find a solution. We’ve had numerous deliberations, even breaking into smaller teams to explore all possible resolutions, but unfortunately, there is no solution tonight,’ Osifo lamented.

According to him, the mass sack has placed the affected workers and their families in a dire situation.

‘All we want is justice for the over 800 people who were sacked. These people are fathers and mothers, and their careers are now at stake. When you terminate people the way they have been terminated, it becomes extremely difficult for them to find jobs anywhere,’ he explained.

Osifo added that some of those dismissed were trainees who had been accused of sabotage, a stigma he said could permanently ruin their careers in the oil and gas industry.

‘If they go home like this, there is no other company in Nigeria that will employ them because they have been labeled saboteurs. These are careers that would be destroyed if a proper remedy is not put in place,’ he stated.

Reiterating the union’s stance, the PENGASSAN leader declared that the strike continues until the workers are reinstated.

‘Our position has been very clear: if you reinstate these people tonight, we will call off our action tonight. But, unfortunately, that reinstatement did not happen, and we were not able to reach a conclusion. So they have asked us to come back again by 2 p.m. today. We pray that God touches the heart of the capitalists, the hearts of the oppressors, to call our people back to work. Until then, the strike continues,’ Osifo vowed.

Confirming the union’s claims, Osifo stressed that Dangote Group had admitted to dismissing the workers, pointing to official termination letters already circulating in the media.

‘Dangote Group agreed that they dismissed 800 people, and the reason was stated in the letters. It cannot be falsehood because the letters are already in the media. What they stated is already public, and it was signed in a communication they released last Thursday,’ he said.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Alhaji Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, who presided over the reconciliation session, acknowledged that the meeting had made progress but emphasized that the reinstatement of the sacked workers remained the primary stumbling block.

‘We have agreed to reconvene today in the afternoon to continue the meeting,’ Dingyadi announced.

‘The reinstatement of the sacked workers is the only issue we are on. Apart from that, nothing else is lingering. We have made a lot of progress, the two main issues arebunionization and the reinstatement of the workers,’ he added.

On his part, Mr. Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, expressed concern over the economic implications of the strike and the deadlock. He stressed that resolving the dispute was crucial to sustaining Nigeria’s fragile economic momentum.

‘What is utmost in the minds of everybody: the public, the government, investors, and economic actors generally, is that we need to limit the danger of this action to the economy,’ Edun said.

‘We need to wrap it up, resolve it, and get workers back to work. We need gas flowing, we need crude flowing as input into production, which is critical to where the economy is right now. We don’t want that momentum to be broken, and that is why we were here for nine hours trying to resolve this issue. We are optimistic that later today we will be able to break the deadlock, resolve it, and put this behind us so the Nigerian economy can move forward,’ he added.

The nationwide strike, which has disrupted operations in critical sectors, was declared by PENGASSAN following the mass dismissal of workers by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery. The union has insisted that until the sacked workers are reinstated, industrial action will continue, raising concerns about potential shortages of refined products and disruptions in gas supply.

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has expressed deep sorrow over the death of Arise News anchor, Somtochukwu Maduagwu, describing the incident as tragic and painful.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, Wike commiserated with the management and staff of Arise News, as well as the family and friends of the deceased.

He assured that security agencies will conduct a thorough investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding Somtochukwu’s death and ensure justice is served.

‘I feel pained that such a wonderful soul could be cut down in its prime. It is sad,’ the minister said.

According to the Mandate Secretary on Health, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Dr Dolapo Fasawe, Somtochukwu was brought dead to Maitama General Hospital at about 4:30 a.m. on Monday. A preliminary medical report, she added, would be submitted to the police to aid investigations.

Wike noted that the late journalist’s passing was not just a loss to Arise News but also to the Nigerian media and the nation at large.

‘At this period, we will continue to pray for God’s comfort for the management and staff of Arise News, especially the Chairman, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, and the family and friends left behind. May God, in His infinite mercies, accept her soul and grant her loved ones the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,’ he added.