Reprieve came the way of Nigerians who have been groaning over the biting fuel scarcity across the country, as Oil workers yesterday suspended their nationwide Pengassan strike.
The decision by workers under the aegis of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to suspend the strike came sequel to the intervention of the Director of Department of State Security (DSS), Lawal Musa Daura, at a high-powered meeting held in Abuja.
According to a statement by national public relations officer (PRO) of PENGASSAN, Comrade Fortune Obi, the strike was also suspended following the intervention of the Minister of Labour & Productivity, Chris Ngige and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu.
Obi disclosed that the management of NECONDE Energy Services Ltd represented by its managing director and the legal consultants offered a letter of recall to the sacked employees of the company.
The NECONDE management also agreed to allow the union to exist in the company.
He added that the minister of Labour and the union agreed to address the anti-union posture by other indigenous companies and marginal field operators.
The statement further noted that a meeting was also fixed for the second week of January 2018, to look at the issues at stake.
LEADERSHIP had reported yesterday that fuel scarcity in major cities across the country may get worse, as PENGASSAN had concluded plans to commence a nationwide strike.
The association had threatened that the industrial action will lead to a shutdown of all oil and gas installations, including disruptions in fuel supply and distribution across the country.
Besides, the meeting facilitated by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Kachikwu, in Abuja between PENGASSAN and the management of Neconde Energy Ltd to recall the sacked staff on Thursday had ended in deadlock.
This prompted the intervention of the DSS DG, Daura, who invited the leadership of the association to yesterday’s meeting to discuss security issues relating to the strike.