– Says PENGASSAN , NUPENG should stay clear of Private Refinery
Sola POPOOLA
Hundreds of Muslims on Tuesday staged a peaceful rally in Lagos to express support for the operations of the $20Billion Dangote Refinery.
Led by the Executive Director , Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) ,Professor Ishaq Akintola ,the participants,who converged at the Central Mosque Alausa matched through the Secretariat ,to the Lagos State House of Assembly where they were received by the House Committee Chairman on Information and Security,Hon Stephen Ogundipe,Hon Segun Ege and Hon.Sabi Rashid.
Addressing the lawmakers, Professor Akintola described the $20 Billion private Refinery as a symbol of national.progress and economic self- reliance .
Akintola charged the Federal Government to activate the
Implementation of the 15 percent tariff on imported products halt the dumping of imported products on Nigerian soil .
The Muslim rights activist highlighted and acknowledged the refinery’s contribution to job creation, energy security, and industrial development in Nigeria.
While presenting the eight- point demands ,MURIC boss urged the Federal Government to protect the Dangote Refinery for the sake of Nigerians .
‘Top most among the interruptions and distractions are the oil unions, particularly PENGASSAN and NUPENG. Although relief in scarcity of fuel, long queues and fuel price hike did not come until the Dangote Refinery came on board, the new refinery’s pedigree and great benefits to Nigeria as a country and to Nigerians as a people did not discourage the unions from causing mayhem.
” They insisted on being in control of unionism in the refinery until they brought operations to a complete halt by declaring a strike”. It stated
The Islamic human rights organization also urged the National Assembly to review labour laws by enacting new investor-friendly ones.
It also demanded the immediate and total stoppage of
oil importation into the country.and give 100percent crude allocation to Dangote Refinery.
MURIC urged the Federal Government to commence the supply of crude oil in naira to Dangote Refinery and ban
PENGASSAN and NUPENG from operating in private oil refineries.
“As a human rights group conscious of its corporate social responsibility, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) deems it necessary to stand up and be counted among those entities that are ready to stand by the new refinery in the interest of Nigeria. That is why we are here today, Tuesday, 11th November, 2025 to exhibit our solidarity with Dangote Refinery. Our rally is peaceful and our members are law-abiding and peace-loving Muslims.
“Nigerians have suffered undue economic hardship for decades. Our first bad experience in petrol-induced crises began in the post-June 12 military era and it continued for about 40 or more years. This period of pain and gnashing of teeth was characterized by fuel shortages leading to long queues and its attendant black-marketing, high prices and lots of uncertainties.
“Meanwhile our three refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna continuously suffered from kwashiorkor, epilepsy and Sleeping Beauty Syndrome. Nigerians who are not suffering from collective amnesia will recount our sufferings over the years from fuel-related yet self-inflicted injuries.
‘The tragedy staring us in the face is that of a country which Allah has blessed with all necessary facilities, manpower, mineral deposits and an expansive arable land. Our oil reserve capacity remains a proven 38 billion barrels and natural gas reserves of 210 Tscf. Though the leading oil producing country in Africa churning out 1.549 million barrels per day as at November 2025, Nigeria’s oil industry is often interrupted by industrial idiosyncrasies”.
“The strike cut Nigeria’s oil output by 600,000 barrels (https://www.africanews.com/2025/10/07/dangote-refinery-strike-cuts-nigeria-oil-output-by-600000-barrels//). The price of gas which is currently between N1,500 and N1,200 and the increase began when the unions went on strike over their clash with Dangote Refinery. In essence, we can infer here that PENGASSAN and other oil unions are hurting Nigerians. They are inflicting pain on Nigerians. We therefore charge the Federal Government (FG) to rescue poor Nigerians.
“Nigeria cannot afford to waste a $20 billion investment that is already performing such wonders. Dangote Refinery is a money spinner. It is Nigeria’s goose that is laying the golden egg. Yet this is the same refinery that the unions wish to strangulate. Nigerians must not be caught napping.
“We must not allow any union or group of persons to destabilize the Dangote Refinery. In particular, we should not allow the subsidy cabal to replicate what they did to Port Harcourt, Warri and the Kaduna refineries, in Dangote Refinery.
In his remarks,Hon Ogundipe commended MURIC for its patriotism ,peaceful conduct and concern for the masses .
The lawmaker also promised to present the MURIC demands before the assembly ,and to the Lagos State governor .
He urged Nigerians to keep faith with the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration in his quest to implement his Renewed Hope Agenda .
The lawmaker also hinted that the assembly might invite the Convener of the rally for further clarification on the group’s demands in the nearest future .