The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has urged the federal government to protect the Dangote Refinery and its infrastructure, including trucks, from sabotage by elements opposed to the company’s good impact on the country’s oil and gas sector.
This comes as the student body is pushing for a peaceful resolution to the dispute between the corporation and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG.
Usman Adamu Nagwaza, president of the Senate, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), published a statement outlining the organization’s viewpoint.
“The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has been following with keen interest the ongoing feud between the Dangote Refinery and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
“As much as we recognize the importance and vital role that unions and associations play in the defense and protection of human rights, we are obliged at this point to set the record straight: joining one is a matter of free will. No individual or group should be compelled or coerced into membership. Everyone has the freedom of association, and the choice not to associate should never warrant threats of a national showdown from any individual, body, or union.
“Furthermore, it is pertinent to state emphatically and unequivocally that we have no problem with the activities of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG). However, we cannot afford a situation that could degenerate into a national crisis. If the feud between the Dangote Refinery and the leadership of NUPENG persists, we foresee a likelihood of returning to the days of fuel scarcity.
“The negative impact of fuel scarcity on the economy and its injurious consequences are not far-fetched. Hence, we cannot afford a situation where tanker drivers embark on a strike. We have not witnessed fuel scarcity in a long time, and that is a feat we must commend the Renewed Hope administration of President Bola Tinubu for.
“The ailing economy is now being resuscitated, and the best any individual or group can do at this time is to give the necessary support to the government and the private sector, of which the Dangote Refinery is a germane contributor, rather than dragging the nation’s economy backward.
“Equally concerning are credible security reports indicating that the notorious oil cartel, responsible for holding the country to ransom for decades through fuel subsidy scams, cross-border smuggling, and deliberate promotion of import dependence and persistent fuel scarcity, may be positioning themselves to exploit the current impasse.
“Intelligence suggests they may be plotting to attack the newly acquired Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered fuel distribution trucks of the Dangote Refinery, with the most extreme intention being to set them ablaze.
“We urge NUPENG to embrace dialogue and refrain from inadvertently becoming instruments in the hands of economic saboteurs.
“Furthermore, we call the attention of the indefatigable National Security Adviser, the top security brass, and their respective formations to the urgent need to safeguard these critical national assets. Any attack on them is, without question, an attack on the future of our nation.
“The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) will not stand idly by while a few individuals attempt to destroy the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, a facility that has already become a beacon of employment and a hub of knowledge transfer for countless Nigerian graduates.
“To this end, we call on the Federal Government to do everything possible to protect the Dangote Refinery and forestall any situation that may pose the risk of fuel scarcity.
“The Dangote Refinery has contributed immensely to fuel production and distribution within the country, which in turn has eased the burden on Nigerians and undoubtedly spurred economic growth.”
