The National Association of Polytechnic Students, NAPS, on Wednesday called on the Federal Government to defend and protect the Dangote Refinery as a national strategic asset, while any sabotage against it should be treated as economic terrorism.
The Poly Students also called on good Nigerians to resist every attempt to frustrate the success of Dangote Refinery by the “Oil Cartels’ who have fed fat on the failure and moribund Nigeria Refineries.
NAPS made the call during a Solidarity Rally in Support of Dangote Refinery held in Benin, Edo State capital, themed: “Protecting National Assets, Securing Youth Futures: NAPS Solidarity with Dangote Refinery for Economic Growth and Stability”.
In his speech, Comrade Eshiofune Paul Oghayan said, “Today, we gather here in Benin City, Edo State, not as spectators of national affairs, but as stakeholders in Nigeria’s industrial destiny.
According to NAPS, We call on the Federal Government to defend and protect the Dangote Refinery as a national strategic asset and any sabotage against it must be treated as economic terrorism.
“We pray that 100% crude oil supply be allocated to the Dangote Refinery because if we feed the refinery fully, it will crash fuel prices, strengthen the Naira, and stop the bleeding of foreign exchange.
The student body also call on the Federal Government to halt the importation of fuel entirely, while we appreciate the 15% slash in fuel importation approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, just as we insist that half-measures cannot deliver full recovery.
“While we emphasised the need to refine what we consume, we also demand national priority for locally refined fuel in government procurement, transport, aviation, power and military sectors.
We further urge Mr. President to dismantle the importation cartel and support genuine national industrialization, just as we call on the National Assembly to pass a Local Refining Protection Bill”—to criminalize any form of sabotage against local refining industries” .
The Poly Students also called on the Federal Government to scrap PENGASSAN, NUPENG, and DAPMAN, as these bodies have become tools of economic blackmail and national regression, standing in opposition to progress”.
However, NAPS stated that the body is not defenders of workers but gatekeepers of chaos, protecting a business empire built on Nigeria’s weakness.
