Mr. Chukwudi Ezinwa, National Ex-Officio of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), has appealed to the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) to seek dialogue with Dangote Company rather than embark on its proposed nationwide strike.
Ezinwa, who represents the South-East on IPMAN’s National Executive Council, made the appeal during a press briefing on Monday in Enugu, stressing that Nigerians would bear the brunt if the strike goes ahead.
NUPENG had earlier announced that its members would begin industrial action nationwide starting Monday, citing alleged anti-labour practices tied to the use of newly imported Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered trucks by the Dangote Refinery for direct fuel distribution.
In his statement obtained by The News Chronicle, Ezinwa said constructive engagement remains the best approach. “I am glad that the Federal Government, through the Minister of Labour, has summoned a meeting in this regard. That is the right way to go. I disagree completely with anybody calling for a strike at this moment,” he said.
He cautioned that the proposed action would only worsen the country’s economic woes. “Nigeria is passing through a lot now and we cannot add more pain to the injury of the masses because the strike they are calling, Dangote and other wealthy Nigerians cannot feel it, but the common man on the street. So, I am of the opinion that people calling for strike should do that with restraint as it will cause inflation, panic buying and increase in price of petroleum products,” he added.
Ezinwa, a former IPMAN Chairman of Enugu Depot, also rejected the call by IPMAN’s Zonal Chairman, East Zone, Prince Bobby Dick, for members in the region to join the planned action.
“So, I feel insulted by that call and that our constitution has been murdered. I have to address it to let the world know that Bobby Dick is not a Zonal chairman of IPMAN Eastern Zone. We cannot say anything on NUPENG issue for now because the national president of IPMAN has not made any pronouncement,” he said.
While distancing IPMAN from divisive positions, Ezinwa stressed that the association would play a conciliatory role in resolving the dispute. He described the standoff as “a problem between our employers and investors.”
“Dangote is an investor and wants to maximise profits; this is a matter of discussion if there are ways he is not getting it right, they will sit down with him to address it. He has a right to belong or not to belong to any union and NUPENG knows that downstream has been deregulated. And the deregulated industry is where everybody is competing to outwit his own brother and sell his own product,” he explained.
