Some members of the National Association of Oduduwa Students (NAOS), the Coalition of Yoruba Students, and the Yoruba Movement are currently staging a peaceful protest in Ibadan, Oyo State, in solidarity with the Dangote Refinery, amid its ongoing dispute with oil sector unions.
The demonstration comes in the wake of tensions between Dangote Refinery and labour groups including the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), and the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN).
The protesters gathered Tuesday morning at Iwo Road Roundabout, near the end of the Ibadan–Lagos Expressway, chanting solidarity songs and marching through major roads in the area.
They carried placards with messages such as: “Don’t Kill Dangote Refinery,” “#StopSabotagingFuelInNigeria,” “#EndPENGASSAN,” “#EndDAPPMAN,” and “#DangoteRefineryIsANationalAsset.”
Clad in branded shirts with the slogan “Don’t Kill Dangote Refinery”, the protesters said their aim is to draw the attention of the Federal Government to what they describe as a “coordinated effort by vested interests” to undermine the refinery’s operations.
President of NAOS, Olalere Adetunji, called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and relevant government agencies to take immediate action.
“We want to use this period to appeal to the Federal Government to protect the Dangote Refinery and ensure that the actions of labour unions and petroleum marketers do not derail Nigeria’s move toward fuel self-sufficiency,” he said.
Security personnel from the Nigeria Police Force and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) were on ground to maintain order as the protest continued.
Details to follow…
