A group, Concerned Nigerian Consumers Forum, has appealed to the federal government and the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate what it described 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 signed 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 privatisation and crippled fuel supply with strikes. Their actions contributed to the rot that turned these refineries into relics of corruption and mismanagement,” it said.
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, stabilise prices, and create jobs.
The forum emphasised that the refinery, which employs over 3,000 Nigerians and continues to recruit, is not anti-labour 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?” it 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.”
It 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.
