4 weeks ago
9
Youths successful their thousands yesterday marched done large streets of Kaduna nether the banner of Partners for National Economic Progress (PANEP) successful a protestation accusing almighty lipid cabals of plotting to sabotage Nigeria’s economical betterment by frustrating section refining efforts.
The protesters who chantted solidarity songs, carried placards bearing assorted inscriptions specified as
“Protect Local Refining,” “End Fuel Import Cartel,” and “Support Dangote Refinery.”
They groups converged astatine the fashionable Murtala Mohammed Square earlier proceeding done Alkali Road, Ali Akilu Road, Ahmadu Bello Way and Muhammadu Buhari Way carrying banners and chantiing songs .
Conveners of the movement, Comrade Igwe Ude-Umanta and Comrade Dahirui Umar Maishanu, said the Kaduna rally was portion of a nationwide run to exposure and defy economical saboteurs who person sworn to guarantee Nigeria remains babelike connected imported fuel.
“This conflict is against the cartel that destroyed our nationalist refineries, killed the textile industry, and present wants to strangle the Dangote Refinery,” Ude-Umanta declared to thunderous applause. “We volition not fto them succeed. The days of holding Nigeria hostage are over.”
According to him, the question began successful Abuja connected October 2 arsenic portion of what helium called a “national liberation effort” to prevention the system from “heartless cartels feeding abdominous connected nationalist decay.” He said the Kaduna limb was symbolic, recalling however the once-booming textile manufacture successful the metropolis was killed by overseas interests aided by section collaborators.
“Kaduna utilized to beryllium a textile hub earlier the aforesaid signifier of sabotage destroyed it,” helium lamented. “Today, they privation to replicate that connected our petroleum assemblage by frustrating section refining. We volition defy them.”
The protest, themed “National Unity Against Sabotage: Reclaiming Our Petroleum Sector for the People,” called for urgent authorities enactment to support the multi-billion-dollar Dangote Refinery from “systematic attacks” by elements of the lipid importation cartel.
Ude-Umanta described caller actions by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) arsenic “economic terrorism,” accusing the national of colluding with the cartel to undermine the refinery’s operations.
“What PENGASSAN did was not unionism—it was sabotage,” helium said. “The Federal Government should person arrested their enactment to service arsenic deterrent. We cannot let radical to fell nether labour unions to perpetrate crimes against our economy.”
PANEP urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who besides doubles arsenic Minister of Petroleum Resources, to “stamp his feet” by ensuring section refineries similar Dangote’s person crude lipid astatine the aforesaid terms sold to overseas refiners. “That is cardinal to sustaining the refinery and boosting capitalist confidence,” the radical said.
The protesters insisted that the epoch of reckless substance importation indispensable end, calling connected authorities to either halt importation outrightly oregon enforce dense tariffs to support section industries. “Countries that spot tariffs are not stupid; they are protecting their economies,” Ude-Umanta added.
In his remarks, Maishanu said the cartel’s extremity was to support monopoly implicit substance importation. “How tin importers vie with producers?” helium queried. “They are frightened due to the fact that section refining volition exposure their fraud and extremity their power implicit pricing.”
The radical accused the cartel of blocking the merchantability of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Aviation Turbine Kerosene (Jet A1) produced locally astatine cheaper rates, thereby keeping prices artificially high. “They are punishing Nigerians to support their greed,” helium said.
The protesters hailed Dangote Refinery for what they described arsenic “early success” successful reducing prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and Automotive Gas Oil (diesel), saying Nigerians are already “breathing caller air” from the section refining revolution.
“This question is astir economical salvation,” Maishanu said. “If we let them to termination Dangote Refinery, nary capitalist volition ever hazard bringing wealth into this state again. We indispensable support this refinery arsenic our own.”
The rally ended with a renewed telephone connected President Tinubu to “crush each force of Nigeria’s economical progress,”
Others who were portion of the conveners see Comrade Jabir Maiturari, Comrade Adeyeye Olugbenga, Comrade Jude Wolimoh, Comrade Olubayo Fisayo, Comrade Danesi Momoh, Comrade Olayinka Dada, Comrade Olamide Odumosu and Comrade Omaha E. Daniel.
English (US) ·