Groups under the banner of Partners for National Economic Progress (PANEP) have urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take a decisive action against individuals and groups allegedly sabotaging efforts to achieve local refining of petroleum products in the country.
The groups, which converged on the Murtala Mohammed Square, Kaduna, before marching through major streets, accused a powerful oil cartel of frustrating Nigeria’s economic progress by undermining local refinery initiatives — particularly the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
Speaking during the rally, Comrade Igwe Ude-Umanta and Comrade Dahiru Umar Maishanu, both leaders of PANEP, said the call to President Tinubu was a patriotic effort to rescue Nigeria from a cartel that profits from fuel importation and scarcity.
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Ude-Umanta said, “This is not about Dangote alone; it’s about Nigeria’s economic survival. Mr. President must rise to the occasion and stamp his feet. He must crush those sabotaging our march toward self-reliance in refining.”
The PANEP leader said their rally themed “National Unity Against Sabotage: Reclaiming Our Petroleum Sector for the People,” was part of a nationwide movement to defend local refining from what he called “economic terrorists” determined to keep Nigeria dependent on fuel importation.
He alleged that some oil unions and importers were colluding with foreign interests to frustrate the Dangote Refinery’s operations, warning that failure to act decisively could scare away future investors.
“If they succeed in killing Dangote Refinery, no investor will ever bring money here again,” he cautioned.
Ude-Umanta also condemned the recent actions of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), against the Dangote Refinery.
He urged President Tinubu, who also serves as Minister of Petroleum Resources, to ensure that local refineries such as Dangote’s are supplied crude oil at the same rate as foreign refineries to sustain their operations and boost investor confidence.
On his part, Comrade Maishanu said their protest was a patriotic call to end decades of economic enslavement caused by fuel importation.
Maishanu commended Dangote Refinery for positively impacting domestic fuel prices, noting that costs of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) have begun to drop.
He said, “Nigerians are beginning to breathe fresh air from this refining revolution. This is the time for the President to prove that local investors matter.”
