President Bola Tinubu has called for caution and retrospection over the industrial dispute between the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).

Mr Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, made the call at the 31st Nigerian Economic Summit (NES), organised by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), on Monday in Abuja.

The summit has as its theme, “The Reform Imperative: Building a Prosperous and Inclusive Nigeria by 2030.”

The president revealed that the government was taking steps to protect big industry and guarantee industrial harmony for the nation’s good.

According to him, Aliko Dangote is not an individual; he is an institution.

“He opted to invest in this country, so we owe it to future generations to jealously protect, promote, and preserve this investment.

”I therefore call for caution, retrospection, and a deeper sense of patriotism from both the labour and the organised private sector in defining and improving relationships in the interest of all Nigerians,” the president said.

Mr Tinubu also warned trade unions against holding the nation to ransom over the dispute.

”Nigeria is greater than PENGASSAN and every one of us here. This is a refinery that was financed through a combination of equity investment and loans from local and foreign banks.

“Therefore, the refinery has to function to service the debt,” he said.

The federal government recently brokered a truce between PENGASSAN and the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

PENGASSAN had directed its members to stop gas supply and withdraw services from the refinery, accusing the company of terminating the employment of more than 800 of its members

Dangote Refinery, however, explained that the disengagement of workers was due to an ongoing restructuring exercise in the company.

(NAN)