The National Association of Nigerian Students has called on the federal government to protect Dangote Refinery and its facilities, including trucks from sabotage by elements opposed to the positive impact the company is having in the oil and gas sector in the country.

This is just as the student body is calling for an amicable resolution of the face-off between the company and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG.

The position of NANS was contained in a statement issued by Usman Adamu Nagwaza, President of the Senate, National Association of Nigerian Students.

The statement read, “The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has been following with keen interest the ongoing feud between the Dangote Refinery and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG). As much as we recognize the importance and vital role that unions and associations play in the defense and protection of human rights, we are obliged at this point to set the record straight: joining one is a matter of free will. No individual or group should be compelled or coerced into membership. Everyone has the freedom of association, and the choice not to associate should never warrant threats of a national showdown from any individual, body, or union.”

It further stated, “Furthermore, it is pertinent to state emphatically and unequivocally that we have no problem with the activities of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG). However, we cannot afford a situation that could degenerate into a national crisis. If the feud between the Dangote Refinery and the leadership of NUPENG persists, we foresee a likelihood of returning to the days of fuel scarcity.”

The student body highlighted the negative impact of fuel scarcity on the economy, commending the Renewed Hope administration of President Bola Tinubu for the recent absence of fuel shortages and noting that the ailing economy is now being resuscitated.

The statement expressed grave concern over credible security reports indicating that the notorious oil cartel, responsible for holding the country to ransom for decades through fuel subsidy scams, cross-border smuggling, and deliberate promotion of import dependence and persistent fuel scarcity may be positioning themselves to exploit the current impasse.

Intelligence suggests they may be plotting to attack the newly acquired Compressed Natural Gas-powered fuel distribution trucks of the Dangote Refinery, with the most extreme intentions being to set them ablaze. The student body urged NUPENG to embrace dialogue and refrain from inadvertently becoming instruments in the hands of economic saboteurs.

Furthermore, NANS called the attention of the National Security Adviser and top security brass to the urgent need to safeguard these critical national assets, stating that any attack on them is, without question, an attack on the future of our nation.

The association declared that it would not stand idly by while a few individuals attempt to destroy the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, a facility that has already become a beacon of employment and a hub of knowledge transfer for countless Nigerian graduates.

The statement concluded by calling on the Federal Government to do everything possible to protect the Dangote Refinery and forestall any situation that may pose the risk of fuel scarcity, acknowledging that the refinery has contributed immensely to fuel production and distribution within the country, which in turn has eased the burden on Nigerians and spurred economic growth.