BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU

ABUJA—THE Federal Government and the leaderships of the Nigerian Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, yesterday began a meeting to avert the looming threat by the unions to embark on strike over plans by government to sell the nation’s refineries.

The meeting which started at about 2p.m. at the Ministry of Labour was ongoing as at the time of filing this report and had in attendance the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu and his counterpart from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke representing the Federal Government.

Also from the government side were the directors and permanent secretaries in both ministries, while the National President of NUPENG, Mr. Igwe Achese and his PENGASSAN counterpart, Babatunde Ogun represented the unions along with their General Secretaries.

Briefing journalists before the closed door session, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Wogu expressed confidence that both parties would  reach an agreement over the issues, adding that the Federal Government had late last year constituted a committee to resolve the impasse, saying that dialogue remained the best option.

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Alison-Madueke, was asked by the Federal Government to work out modalities for the sale of the refineries located in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna.
Since the announcement, oil workers’ unions have condemned the proposal and threatened to embark on strike  if government did not reverse the decision.