Thousands of Nigerians, under the banner of the “Mega Citizens’ Rally and Movement Against Sabotage and Economic Saboteurs in the Petroleum Sector,” on Monday staged a peaceful demonstration in Kaduna in solidarity with the Dangote Refinery.
The protesters decried what they described as a systemic sabotage of the refinery and other local refining initiatives.
The rally, themed “National Unity Against Sabotage: Reclaiming Our Petroleum Sector for the People,” followed a similar event held in Abuja on Saturday as part of the Independence celebrations. It aimed to build momentum for a nationwide, people-driven campaign to end the dominance of oil importation cartels and protect Nigeria’s refining capacity.
Speaking during the rally, one of the conveners, Mr. Igwe Ude-Umanta, described the movement as a “national patriotic duty” to resist entrenched economic interests that thrive on sabotaging local industries.
“We are here to say enough is enough. The Dangote Refinery has become a symbol of hope for local refining,” he said.
“But the same forces that destroyed our public refineries are now desperate to crush it. We won’t let them succeed.”
Ude-Umanta accused the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) of engaging in what he called “economic terrorism” by allegedly aligning with foreign oil interests to destabilize the refinery’s operations.
Other speakers, including veteran labour leaders and economic experts, condemned the alleged attacks and urged the Federal Government to take immediate legal action against individuals or groups exploiting union platforms to sabotage national economic assets.
The protesters called on President Bola Tinubu, who doubles as the Minister of Petroleum Resources, to ensure that crude oil is supplied to the Dangote Refinery at the same rate offered to foreign refiners, insisting that doing so is vital for Nigeria’s economic independence.
They also drew parallels between the collapse of Kaduna’s once-thriving textile industry and the threats facing the local refining sector, warning that the oil industry could face a similar fate if urgent action is not taken.
“Our past was stolen by importation cartels who killed local production. We won’t let that happen again,”
said Dahiru Umar Maishanu, co-convener of the rally.
“Dangote Refinery must not fall. It is not just a business—it is our national asset.”
The conveners urged the President to enact laws discouraging fuel importation, remove regulatory bottlenecks, and introduce protective tariffs to encourage local refining.
The rally ended with a pledge to sustain nationwide mobilization until the Dangote Refinery and other domestic industries are fully protected and allowed to thrive.
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