Thousands of Nigerians under the umbrella 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 support of the Dangote Refinery.

They condemned what they described as a systemic sabotage of the refinery and other local refining efforts.

The rally, themed “National Unity Against Sabotage: Reclaiming Our Petroleum Sector for the People,” was a follow-up to the Abuja Independence Rally held on Saturday.

It was aimed at building momentum for a people-powered movement to end the dominance of oil importation cartels and protect Nigeria’s refining capacity.

Speaking at the rally, one of the conveners, Igwe Ude-Umanta, said the movement has become a “national patriotic duty” to resist an entrenched cartel that thrives on economic sabotage.

According to him, the cartel has held Nigeria hostage through deliberate efforts to cripple local refineries.

“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,” Mr Ude-Umanta 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 destabilise the operations of the Dangote Refinery.

Other speakers, including veteran labour leaders and economic experts, condemned the attacks on the refinery and called on the federal government to take immediate legal action against those who exploit union platforms to perpetrate sabotage.

The protesters demanded that President Bola Tinubu, who also serves as Minister of Petroleum Resources, ensure that crude oil is supplied to the refinery at the same price it is sold to foreign refiners, stressing that this is critical for Nigeria’s economic self-sufficiency.

The rally also drew historical parallels between the decline of Kaduna’s once-thriving textile industry and the current threats facing local refineries.

Speakers warned that, like the textile industry, the oil sector may suffer irreversible damage 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.

He added, “Dangote Refinery must not fall. It is not just a business; it is our national asset.”

The conveners urged the president to enact a law that discourages petroleum product importation, remove existing regulatory bottlenecks, and enforce tariffs that will protect and incentivise local refining.

The rally concluded with a pledge to mobilise nationwide support until the refinery and other local industries were fully safeguarded.

(NAN)