..threatens protest

By Peter Duru, Makurdi

The West African Students’ Union, WASU, has urged President Bola Tinubu to take decisive action against those sabotaging the efforts of Dangote Refinery to refine petroleum products for local consumption and export in order to end the reliance on imported refined products.

The students also urged Nigerians to support the refinery to succeed saying its coming would create thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the country warning that they might be forced to mobilise students to protest against delibtrate plots to frustrate the refinery.

In a statement issued weekend in Makurdi, the WASU Executives led by  Comrade Romans Pillah lamented that over the years Nigerians had been subjected to untold sufferings due to insufficient supply of petroleum products despited the country being a major exporter of crude.

They noted that the coming of the Dangote Refinery marked a turning point for Nigerians that would drive down the pump price of petrol but regretted that some “saboteurs” were out to frustrate the existence of the refinery in order to continue with the exploitative business of importing refined products into the country and by so doing ripping off the country.

The students assured that “we will stand with Dangote to put an end to continuous importation of less quality and costly refined petroleum products into Nigeria because despite spending billions of Dollars on turnaround maintenance for Nigeria’s refineries, the country still relies on importing refined products.

“This ongoing problem underscores the widespread corruption within Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, allegedly driven by influential cabals determined to maintain the status quo of exporting crude oil and importing refined petroleum products.

“We warn that if this continues, WASU will not hesitate to publicly name these identified cabals and organize a public peace protest to let the whole world hear our cries and injustice done to the Dangote Refinery.

“It is every Nigerian’s aspiration for the country to refine its crude oil for the benefit of its people and anyone who opposes this national desire will face the wrath of the masses.

“The refinery is essential for addressing Nigeria’s refining needs locally, thus reducing the nation’s dependence on imported refined petroleum products.

“We urge President Tinubu to support the project, because it would boost the economy, create thousands of jobs, ensure product sustainability and affordability, and provide significant benefits to Nigerians, among other positive outcomes.

“The President must not tolerate the alleged economic sabotage by International Oil Companies, IOCs, operating in Nigeria, which have refused to sell crude oil to the Dangote refinery and other modular refineries.

“We call on Mr. President to direct NNPC or NNPCL to compel the IOCs operating in our communities to sell and supply Crude Oil to Dangote Refinery and other Local Refineries in line with section 109 of the Petroleum Industry Act PIA 2021 particularly section 109(4)(b) which stated that ‘the supply of crude oil shall be commercially negotiated between the lessee and the crude oil refining licensee, having regard to the prevailing international market price for similar grades of crude oil.”

The students who commended the Chairman of Dangote Industries, Aliko Dangote for showing patriotism by investing and building the refinery in Nigeria also lauded Dr. Edwin

Devakumar, the Vice President, Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries for his steadfastness in ensuring that the refinery was established primarily to source and refine local crudes for the benefit of Nigeria while also exporting excess production to boost the economy.