The Concerned Nigerian Consumers Forum has called on the Federal Government and the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate what it describes as desperate attempts by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to undermine the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, a critical national asset aimed at achieving Nigeria’s energy independence.
In a statement by Comrade Olabisi Taiwo, President, and Dr. Justice Akani Alikor, Secretary, the Forum expressed alarm over PENGASSAN’s threats to picket the $20 billion refinery over alleged mass sackings.
The group accused the union of risking Nigeria’s return to fuel scarcity, economic instability, and national embarrassment, urging Nigerians to question PENGASSAN’s motives.
“PENGASSAN, alongside NUPENG, played a significant role in the collapse of Nigeria’s public refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna,” the Forum stated.
“They resisted reforms, blocked privatization, and crippled fuel supply with strikes. Their actions contributed to the rot that turned these refineries into relics of corruption and mismanagement.”
The Dangote Refinery, the world’s largest single-train refinery with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, is a private initiative designed to end Nigeria’s reliance on imported fuel, stabilize prices, and create jobs.
The Forum emphasised that the refinery, which employs over 3,000 Nigerians and continues to recruit, is not anti-labor but focused on operational efficiency and safety.
The company’s recent reorganisation, according to Dangote, was prompted by acts of sabotage that threatened operations.
The Forum criticised PENGASSAN’s threat to picket the refinery despite a court order restraining industrial action, calling it “union overreach” and a violation of the rule of law.
It also condemned the union’s inflammatory rhetoric, citing a metaphorical statement about a “witch crying in the night” as reckless and divisive.
“Who benefits if the refinery fails?” the Forum asked. “Certainly not the Nigerian people, but fuel importers and rent seekers who profit from chaos.”
The group urged PENGASSAN to engage in dialogue, respect the courts, and prioritize national interests over what it called “irresponsible unionism.”
The Forum called on the Ministries of Labour, Petroleum Resources, and Justice to intervene and protect the refinery from disruption.
“The government must send a clear message: industrial blackmail will not be tolerated,” the statement read.
“Nigerians have suffered enough from fuel queues and economic hardship. The Dangote Refinery is our best chance at energy independence, and we must not allow vested interests to destroy it.”
The Forum concluded by reaffirming its support for progress, stability, and the rule of law, urging all Nigerians to protect the refinery as a symbol of hope and a break from the nation’s troubled energy past.
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