The days Micheal Imodu and Hassan Sumoni and Adams Oshmole are over good at this time and age.
The contract between employees and employers is guided by the company’s condition of service as stipulated in the company’s Article and Memorandum of Association.
The face- off between workers and management of Dangote Refinery is dictated by terms and condition of service of the company which prohibits staff organizing and forming a trade union.
The investment appraisal of Dangote Refinery by its financial institutions such as shareholders and lenders does not factor the disruption of its production by self seeking individuals who organized a trade union in the company.
It is very disheartening and worrisome for some people who secure employment in the organisation to join any trade union in oil industry. Prior to Dangote’s investing in the high risk and volatile industry the sector was dominated by state owned company the NNPC in down stream sector of the industry.
NNPC was the dominant player in the industry with monopoly in aspect of the petroleum sector before the deregulation and financial liberalization of Tinubu administration.
It is indeed unpatriotic and arm twisting strategy employed by staff of Dangote Refinery to seek to join PENGASSAN and NUPENG.
In today’s world economic environment production is key to job creation, employment generation and wealth making by the country and it’s citizens.
The second largest economy China which is expected to overtake the United States in the coming years does not trade unions dictating how companies relate with their employees.
It too early to forget the impact of trade unions in the British economy which was the biggest in Europe until it’s trade unions brought it to its knees but for the intervention of Magret Thetcher.
To any keen observer of the challenges facing Nigerian economy Dangote Refinery is a big solution and doesn’t need any distraction by self serving employees who were very happy with job opportunity in the refinery.
The stress and tension Aliko Dangote passed through by making the refinery a reality cannot be over emphasized. The stability in the supply of petroleum products around the country would attained in no distant future.
The monopoly of NNPCL in the management of the Nigerian oil industry is over. It’s trade union leaders who have been sucking the blood of Nigerians through endless strikes will be buried in the grave yard never to raise again.
The deregulation and liberalization of the oil sector is aimed at taking to Nigeria to a higher pedestal that will earned foreign exchange for the country and save foreign exchange. This will go along way in diversifying the economy into other sectors such as solid minerals amongst others.
Trade Union activities can only be confined to industry specific tied to peculiar circumstances of each company in the industry.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu the ball is ni your court to do or mar the creation of level playing ground for foreign investment by lowering the risk of trade union activities scaring away foreign investors into critical sectors of the economy.
Dangote Refinery has opened a window of opportunity for potential investors into downstream sector, where the comotose state owned refineries in Kaduna, Warri and Port Harcourt can be sold to interested investors who would rejuvenate and turn them around for good of the country and it’s citizens.
Dangote Refinery has done it’s part and let no economic saboteur derail it’s sustained growth for peanuts.
Mahmud Shuaibu Ringim
mahmudshuaibu44@gmail.com
