From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
Vice President Kashim Shettima has pleaded with the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) to intervene in the feud between Dangote Refinery and PENGASSAN, saying that if Dangote had invested $10 billion in Microsoft, in Amazon, in Google, probably he might be worth $70 to $80 billion by now but he opted to invest in his country.
Speaking when he declared open the ongoing NESG summit in Abuja, the VP appealed that Nigerians should treat him kindly because the way he is treated in his country will determine how the outside world will treat him.
“On this note, I want to dwell on something that is very dear, a topical issue that is very dear to the heart of every Nigerian.
“Aliko Dangote, he’s not an individual. He’s an institution, and he’s a leading light in Nigeria’s economic parliament. And how we treat this gentleman will determine how outsiders will judge us. If he had invested $10 billion in Microsoft, in Amazon, in Google, probably he might be worth $70 billion to $80 billion by now.
“But he opted to invest in his country, and we owe it to future generations to jealously protect, promote, preserve, and protect the interests of this great Nigerian. I wish to call for caution, retrospection, and a deeper sense of patriotism from both the labour and the organised private sector in defining and improving the relationship between labour and industry in the interest of maintaining our steadily-improving economic fortunes. It’s not about holding the whole nation to ransom because of a minor labour dispute.
“Nigeria is greater than PENGASSAN. Nigeria is greater than each and every one of us. I’m not coming to you as a partisan,
“I’m coming to you as a patriot in search of solutions to our national challenges. I wish to re-emphasise that in the interest of improving the fortunes, the government is hereby tasking the Nigerian Economic Summit Group in taking more than a person’s interest in the matter. The government will expect parties and recommendations from NESG in addressing this issue, even as the government is also taking steps to protect big industry and ensure the industrial harmony for the good of the nation,” he said.
According to the VP, PENGASSAN cannot hold the whole nation to ransom for issues that can easily be resolved amicably.
“The refinery has to function to service the debt.
“And we cannot hold the whole nation to ransom for some issues that we can amicably settle across the table. Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, this is all the core remarks, but I believe it reflects the true position of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It reflects the true position of the Nigerian people,” he said.
Leave a comment