By Collins Nnabuife

Copyright tribuneonlineng

A coalition of civil society organisations, faith leaders, market associations and petroleum consumers on Tuesday stormed Abuja in protest against what they described as a dangerous alliance of cartels and unions seeking to sabotage the Dangote Refinery.

The protesters, under the aegis of the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria (COCSON), the Nigerian Interfaith Forum (NIF), the National Coalition for Market Men, Women and Artisans (NACOMWA) and the Petroleum Consumers Protection Alliance (PCPA), gathered at the Unity Fountain Abuja while they dispatched their grievance letter to

the Presidential Villa, the National Assembly and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

Jointly reading a prepared speech during the rally, the coalition said Nigeria was “at a critical crossroads,” accusing the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) of waging an anti-people war to protect its profiteering from fuel imports. The group also condemned the strike threats by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), describing them as a conspiracy to destabilise the economy and deepen the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.

“This is a direct call by PENGASSAN, NUPENG and TUC for anarchy,” declared Comrade Ibrahim Suleiman, President of COCSON. “President Tinubu should hold these people responsible if there is a breakdown of law and order in this country. They should be immediately arrested for disobedience to court order.”

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The coalition insisted that the opposition to Dangote Refinery was not about patriotism or sound policy but a desperate move to retain control of a corrupt fuel import system. “For decades, Nigerians have been held hostage by a cartel that thrives on import dependency, round-tripping, subsidy scams and artificial scarcity,” Suleiman said. “DAPPMAN’s agenda is to keep fuel importation alive so they can continue profiteering at the expense of ordinary citizens already battered by poverty, unemployment and inflation.”

Echoing his concern, Rev. Dr. Mathew Ayodele, National Chairman of the Nigerian Interfaith Forum (NIF), condemned the planned industrial strike as “a dagger to Nigerians’ hearts.” He said it was immoral for unions to threaten a shutdown of oil and gas operations at a time when families were already struggling to survive. “Let us be clear: this is not a strike for workers. It is a strike for cartels. History will not forgive any union that aligns with saboteurs against the very people they claim to represent,” he warned.

The coalition welcomed the recent ruling of the Federal High Court barring PENGASSAN from stopping gas supply to Dangote Refinery. Barr. Yusuf Danladi, Chairman of PCPA, said the judgment “validates our position that the strike threats were never in the interest of workers or Nigerians, but a calculated move to sabotage Nigeria’s refining revolution. The judiciary has spoken clearly: no union or cartel has the right to hold 200 million Nigerians hostage in pursuit of selfish interests.”

Comrade Boma Agbede, National President of NACOMWA, accused the unions of hypocrisy in their attempts to drag Dangote Refinery into their fold. “ASUU does not go after Covenant, Baze, Babcock or JABU to force lecturers into membership. NURTW does not compel drivers in GUO, Chisco or Ekeson to join its ranks. NUT does not march into Chrisland or British International School to conscript teachers. So why should Dangote Refinery, a private enterprise built with private sweat and risk, be forced into the grip of PENGASSAN or any union that can shut it down at will?” he asked.

The coalition painted a grim picture of what Nigerians stand to suffer if DAPPMAN and the unions succeed, warning that fuel scarcity would return, black markets would thrive, transportation would collapse, electricity supply would worsen and inflation would spiral further. “It is not just wickedness, it is economic terrorism against the Nigerian people,” Suleiman declared.

The groups urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Assembly and regulators to stand firm with Dangote Refinery and other indigenous refineries. They commended the President’s commitment to industrialisation but cautioned against yielding to what they described as DAPPMAN’s blackmail. “Any attempt to bend will be resisted by Nigerians,” the coalition warned.

They vowed to pursue a lawsuit against DAPPMAN for economic sabotage and anti-competition practices, organise more rallies in Abuja, and mobilise international advocacy through ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations to expose the weaponisation of petroleum products against Nigerians.

“You have bled this nation long enough,” the coalition declared in a warning to DAPPMAN and strike organisers. “Nigerians will no longer sit idle while you mortgage our future. If you proceed, we will meet you in court, in the streets and in the global arena. This nation belongs to its people not to cartels, not to saboteurs, not to profiteers.”

Furthermore, the coalition reaffirmed its “unwavering support” for Dangote Refinery as a symbol of energy security, job creation and economic sovereignty. “Nigerians deserve relief, not renewed suffering. Nigerians deserve progress, not sabotage. Nigerians deserve energy security, not endless scarcity,” the speech concluded.

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