Protesters on Monday brought parts of Kaduna to a standstill as they marched in solidarity with the Dangote Refinery, accusing a well-connected oil importation cartel and elements within the labour movement of trying to frustrate the country’s nascent local refining drive.
The protest, themed “National Unity Against Sabotage: Reclaiming Our Petroleum Sector for the People,” called for urgent government action to protect the multi-billion-dollar Dangote Refinery from “systematic attacks” by elements of the oil importation cartel.
Marching under the banner of Partners for National Economic Progress, the demonstrators gathered at Murtala Mohammed Square before winding through Alkali Road, Ali Akilu Road, Ahmadu Bello Way and Muhammadu Buhari Way, brandishing placards with messages such as “Protect Local Refining,” “End Fuel Import Cartel” and “Support Dangote Refinery.”
One of the movement’s leaders, Igwe Ude-Umanta, told the crowd that the Kaduna demonstration formed part of a nationwide campaign that began in Abuja on October 2.
Protesters in Kaduna on Monday. Photo Godwin Isenyo
Ude-Umanta described the rallies as a “national liberation effort” aimed at saving Nigeria’s economy from forces he said were determined to keep the country dependent on imported fuel.
“This struggle is against the cartel that destroyed our public refineries, killed the textile industry, and now wants to strangle the Dangote Refinery. We will not let them succeed. The days of holding Nigeria hostage are over,” Ude-Umanta declared to thunderous applause.
Ude-Umanta drew an explicit historical parallel with Kaduna’s once-thriving textile industry, saying the same pattern of sabotage that gutted that sector was being replayed in the petroleum industry.
“Kaduna used to be a textile hub before the same pattern of sabotage destroyed it. Today, they want to replicate that in our petroleum sector by frustrating local refining. We will resist them,” he said.
PANEP leader accused the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria of complicity, describing recent union actions as tantamount to “economic terrorism.”
PANEP urged either an outright halt to fuel importation or the imposition of heavy tariffs to protect domestic refining and related industries.
“Countries that place tariffs are not stupid; they are protecting their economies,” Ude-Umanta said, adding that importers were frightened by the prospect of local refining exposing price manipulation and corrupt practices.
Dahiru Maishanu, who also addressed the rally, said the union’s conduct had gone beyond legitimate labour protest and was instead assisting the importers’ agenda.
“What PENGASSAN did was not unionism, it was sabotage. The Federal Government should have arrested their leadership to serve as a deterrent. We cannot allow people to hide under labour unions to commit crimes against our economy,” Maishanu said.
Protesters in Kaduna on Monday. Photo Godwin Isenyo
The protesters demanded urgent intervention from President Bola Tinubu, who also holds the portfolio of Minister of Petroleum Resources, to ensure that local refineries, notably the Dangote Refinery, are supplied with crude oil on terms equal to those offered to foreign refiners.
“President Tinubu must stamp his feet,” the group said in a statement read at the rally.
“Local refineries must receive crude at the same price offered to foreign refiners. That is key to sustaining the refinery and boosting investor confidence,” he said.
Maishanu also accused the cartel of actively blocking the sale of locally produced Liquefied Petroleum Gas and Aviation Turbine Kerosene, insisting those actions were intended to keep prices artificially high and preserve monopoly profits.
“They are punishing Nigerians to protect their greed. How can importers compete with producers? They are scared because local refining will expose their fraud and end their control over pricing,” Maishanu said.
The demonstrators praised the Dangote Refinery for what they called its early impact on prices of Premium Motor Spirit and diesel, saying ordinary Nigerians were already “breathing fresh air” because of local refining.
They warned that if the refinery were undermined, the consequences would be severe for investor confidence and the wider economy.
“This movement is about economic salvation. If we allow them to kill Dangote Refinery, no investor will ever risk bringing money into this country again. We must protect this refinery as our own,” Maishanu said.
PANEP added the Kaduna leg with a renewed call on the Federal Government to “crush every enemy of Nigeria’s economic progress,” urging swift policy and enforcement actions that would protect local refining capacity and punish those found to be undermining it.
The September 29 meeting between the PENGASSAN and Dangote Refinery management over the ongoing industrial dispute ended in a deadlock after stretching from 4 p.m. into the early hours of Tuesday.
Following the stalemate, the Minister of Labour, Muhammad Dingyadi, announced that negotiations would resume at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.
The follow-up session eventually began at about 3:50 p.m. at the Office of the National Security Adviser and lasted into the early hours of Wednesday, when a breakthrough was finally reached.
The dispute arose from allegations by PENGASSAN that the refinery engaged in mass transfers and sackings of union members, while replacing some Nigerian workers with foreign nationals, accusations the company repeatedly denied.
The federal government waded in to forestall further disruption, citing the dispute’s potential impact on the economy and national energy security.
The official social media page of the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), 𝕏 to be precise, has been attacked by suspected hackers.
Naija News reports that the DHQ confirmed the development in a statement made public on Saturday, August 15, by the Director of Defence Information, Maj. General Samaila Uba.
He said the body has hence treated the incident as a cybersecurity matter, with technical measures activated to secure the account.
“The Defence Headquarters wishes to inform members of the public, the media and all stakeholders that it has detected an attempted unauthorised compromise of its official X (formerly Twitter) account.
“The incident is currently being treated as a cybersecurity matter, and appropriate technical measures have been activated to secure the account and prevent further unauthorised access,” the statement noted.
The DHQ urged members of the public to disregard any publication from the account at the moment while ensuring that efforts were ongoing to fully restore control of the official account.
“The Defence Headquarters assures the public that efforts are ongoing to fully restore control of the official account.
“Consequently, members of the public are advised to disregard any suspicious, unauthorised or misleading content that may be posted from the account during this period,” he said.
Uba stressed the DHQ’s committment to maintaining high standards of information security and ensuring that Nigerians continued to receive accurate, timely and credible information on the activities and operations of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
“We appreciate the understanding and vigilance of the public and will provide further updates as necessary,” he said.
He further urged Nigerians to henceforth check its verified accounts on other platforms, including Facebook under the name “Defence Headquarters Nigeria,” Instagram at @defenceheadquarters and its WhatsApp Channel, Defence Headquarters Nigeria for reliable information.
At least seven workers were killed and 13 injured following a landslide that sent water and debris gushing into a tunnel under construction in north India, officials said Friday.
The incident occurred late Thursday in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, where workers were constructing a tunnel for a state-run hydropower project.
At least three workers are still missing, while 19 were rescued from the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation site, the State Disaster Management Authority said in a statement.
Videos shared by local authorities showed rescue workers equipped with head-mounted torches using makeshift rafts to reach the flooded section of the tunnel.
Uttarakhand has been battered by heavy monsoon rains in recent days.
Accidents on large construction sites are common in India, but ecologists say excessive development projects have led to more disasters in the fragile Himalayan areas.
Last month, 20 people working in a tunnel for another state-run hydroelectric project were killed in the remote northeastern state of Sikkim.
In 2023, 41 workers were rescued after being trapped for 17 days inside a tunnel that collapsed in Uttarakhand.
Hundreds of people have been killed in floods and landslides across the country since the start of the annual monsoon season in June.
Experts say climate change, coupled with poorly planned development, is increasing the frequency, severity, and impact of the disasters.
The Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers Union has honoured the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Mr Oluwatosin Ajayi, with the ‘Golden Era Pillar of Critical and Strategic Intelligence for National Development Award’, as part of activities marking its 50th anniversary
RATTAWU conferred the award on Ajayi on Thursday at his office, when the National President of the group, Emeka Kalu, led members to a media/security-critical engagement and strategic partnership meeting for national development in Abuja.
Kalu praised the appointment of Ajayi in 2024 by President Bola Tinubu, describing it as putting “a round peg in a round hole.”
He added that the award was an initiative of the union designed to recognise individuals and institutions that had made outstanding contributions to national development, security, democracy, culture and the growth of Nigeria.
He said, “Your appointment by Mr President demonstrates the importance of placing capable Nigerians with integrity and professional competence in strategic positions of national responsibility.
“The role of the DSS in protecting Nigeria’s national interests, gathering critical intelligence and supporting national security cannot be overemphasised.
“Particularly now that this country is confronted with complex security and emerging technological challenges, appointments like yours are the best ever done by Mr President.
“That is why this union decided to honour you with the Golden Era Pillar of Critical and Strategic Intelligence for National Development Award.”
Responding, the DSS Director-General, Oluwatosin Ajayi, expressed appreciation to the leadership of RATTAWU for the honour.
Ajayi described the recognition as a significant gesture that would further encourage him and the service to remain committed to their responsibilities to the nation.
