House of Representatives has set up an ad-hoc committee to address the ongoing dispute between petroleum workers and the Dangote Refinery, with the aim of finding a lasting solution to the crisis.
The committee’s formation followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance jointly sponsored by former House Leader, Alhassan Ado Doguwa from Kano State, and Abdulsamad Dasuki from Sokoto State.
The Speaker of the House, Dr. Abbas Tajudeen, will head the ad-hoc committee, alongside members from the House leadership. They are expected to engage both parties to resolve the issue amicably.
Leading the debate, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa explained that the recent face-off between the two key stakeholders in the oil industry disrupted Nigeria’s crude oil production, causing an estimated daily loss of 200,000 barrels over three days.
He added that the disruption further worsened fuel supply nationwide, leading to scarcity and long queues at filling stations across several states, inflicting hardship on Nigerians.
Alhassan Doguwa, who emphasized the importance of the Dangote Refinery stressed that that it is a strategic private investment of immense national importance, with the potential to guarantee energy security, reduce import dependency, generate employment, and conserve foreign exchange.
“Further aware that the Dangote Refinery operates within a Free Trade Zone, and therefore falls under the regulatory framework of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), particularly Section 18(5) of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Act which clearly states, “Employment in the Free Zone shall be governed by rules and regulations made by the Authority and not subject to the provisions of any enactments relating to employment matters.”
The lawmakers expressed concern that actions by labour unions that disregard the legal protections conferred on Free Zones under the NEPZA Act not only constitute a breach of law but also create a hostile investment environment that may deter future local and foreign investors.
He expressed fear that if private investments of strategic national importance are continually subjected to unlawful disruptions by adversarial unionism, Nigeria risks not only the failure of key economic assets but also the erosion of investor confidence necessary for national growth and development.
COV /TSIBIRI
