Amid plans by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to shut down Dangote Refinery, the Concerned Nigerian Consumers Forum has urged the Federal Government and the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate what it described as a union plot to sabotage the nation’s energy independence.

The Forum, while expressing alarm over PENGASSAN’s threat to picket the $20 billion refinery over recent mass sacking of workers, described Dangote Petroleum Refinery as a critical national asset aimed at achieving Nigeria’s energy independence.

In a statement signed by Comrade Olabisi Taiwo, President, and Dr. Justice Akani Alikor, Secretary, the Forum accused PENGASSAN of plotting to return Nigerians to the agonies of fuel scarcity, with attendant economic instability and national embarrassment.

Urging Nigerians to question PENGASSAN’s motives, the Forum said, “PENGASSAN, alongside NUPENG, played a significant role in the collapse of Nigeria’s public refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna.

“They resisted reforms, blocked privatization, and crippled fuel supply with strikes. Their actions contributed to the rot that turned these refineries into relics of corruption and mismanagement.”

According to the Forum, Dangote Refinery is a private initiative designed to end Nigeria’s reliance on imported fuel while stabilizing prices and creating jobs.

It further noted that the refinery, which employs over 3,000 Nigerians and continues to recruit, is not anti-labor but focused on operational efficiency and safety.

The Forum criticized PENGASSAN’s threat to picket the refinery despite a court order restraining industrial action, describing its actions as “union overreach” and a violation of the rule of law.

“Who benefits if the refinery fails? Certainly not the Nigerian people but fuel importers and rent seekers who profit from chaos,” the Forum noted.

Condemning what it termed “irresponsible unionism”, the Forum urged PENGASSAN to engage in dialogue, respect the courts and prioritize national interest.

In the same vein, the Forum called on the ministries of Labour, Petroleum Resources and Justice to intervene and stop the threat to shut down the refinery.

“The government must send a clear message: industrial blackmail will not be tolerated.

“Nigerians have suffered enough from fuel queues and economic hardship. The Dangote Refinery is our best chance at energy independence, and we must not allow vested interests to destroy it,” the Forum added.