Thousands of Nigerians, under the banner of the Mega Citizens’ Rally and Movement Against Sabotage and Economic Saboteurs in the Petroleum Sector, on Monday held a peaceful demonstration in Kaduna in support of the Dangote Refinery.
The protesters denounced what they described as systemic sabotage against the refinery and other local refining efforts.
The rally, themed “National Unity Against Sabotage: Reclaiming Our Petroleum Sector for the People,” followed the Abuja Independence Rally held on Saturday. It aimed to build momentum for a people-driven campaign to end the dominance of oil importation cartels and strengthen Nigeria’s refining capacity.
One of the conveners, Mr. Igwe Ude-Umanta, said the movement had become a “national patriotic duty” to resist an entrenched cartel that thrives on economic sabotage.
“We are here to say enough is enough. The Dangote Refinery has become a symbol of hope for local refining. But the same forces that killed our public refineries are now desperate to crush it. We won’t let them breathe anymore,” he declared.
He accused the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) of engaging in what he termed “economic terrorism” by allegedly acting on behalf of foreign-aligned oil interests to undermine the operations of the Dangote Refinery.
Other speakers, including labour leaders and economic experts, condemned the attacks on the refinery and urged the Federal Government to take swift legal action against those exploiting union platforms to sabotage the economy.
The demonstrators appealed to President Bola Tinubu, who also serves as Minister of Petroleum Resources, to ensure that crude oil is supplied to the Dangote Refinery at the same rate offered to foreign refiners, describing the move as vital for national self-sufficiency.
They also drew comparisons between the decline of Kaduna’s once-thriving textile industry and the current threats to local refineries, warning that similar neglect could cause irreversible damage to the oil sector.
“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.
He added, “Dangote Refinery must not fall. It is not just a business — it is our national asset.”
The conveners urged the president to introduce policies discouraging petroleum importation, eliminate regulatory bottlenecks, and implement tariffs that protect and incentivise local refining.
The rally ended with a pledge to continue nationwide mobilisation until the Dangote Refinery and other local industries were fully protected.
(NAN)