Planned Terrorrism at Dangote refinery

By Frank Tietie

I hear some neo-terrorists want to invade the Dangote Refinery to stop the supply of gas to it. I invite them to check out the definition of ‘terrorism’ in the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act.

The Nigerian government must protect legitimate private businesses from the ‘entitlement mentality’ of many Nigerian workers’ unions. Many of them don’t know what it takes to build a country through its public service or incubate businesses like the Dangote Refinery. Yet, when employed, they form unions to redefine the conditions of service and subtly exercise lordship over what they didn’t build or own.

The Nigerian working class cannot excuse itself from its present malaise. We share a collective failure of what Nigeria has become, whether through our actions or inaction.

Therefore, we have a collective task to make Nigeria greater or better than we met it. One way to achieve Nigeria’s greatness is by practising a work ethic based on dedication to service and a reward mechanism based on merit and established values.

As a Nigerian worker, if you don’t like an employer’s conditions of service, don’t even apply to be employed by them in the first place. It is not until after you have willingly applied for a job and have been employed that you plan to form or join a particular union to redefine or dictate the terms of your job.

In a country blessed with natural crude oil oil yet its citizens’ daily life was marked with endless queues at petrol stations because its many failed refineries which gulp billions of Naira in annual maintenance yet they remain decrepit, without products and have become cesspit of corruption, Aliko Dangote a Nigerian business man had a seemingly impossible dream of giving greater value to Nigeria’s crude oil by setting up one of the largest petroleum refineries in the world. The Dangote of a guy boasted that his refinery, when it took off, would make petroleum products available in every part of Nigeria and crash their prices from the maddening effects of the removal of petroleum subsidies, which have seen the price of PMS rising to N1,500 per litre in some places across Nigeria.

Aliko Dangote’s dream of cheap and available fuel came true faster than many thought. Shortly after the Dangote Refinery started production, the price of PMS was cut to N820, an estimated 55 per cent reduction in price.

The success of the Dangote Refinery benefits all Nigerians. If some like, let them begrudge Aliko Dangote and his partners for getting richer or attempting to build a monopoly, as they did to cement supply. If such critics really think so, let them attempt to get the other refineries in Nigeria to work or start their own refineries if they can.

Now that the Dangote Refinery is benefiting Nigerians and bringing them pride, those who are masters of reaping where they did not sow are attempting to impose on it the template that has grounded all the other government-owned (NNPCL) refineries, starting by insisting on forming unions.

Granted, any group of employees numbering 50 or more has the right to apply to the Registrar of Trade Unions to form their workers’ union. If those workers become aggrieved that their employer is unwilling to accept the formation of their union, they should approach the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) to seek redress. They also have the right to protest to their employer. What is, however, unacceptable is when members of other trade unions in the oil and gas sector, like PENGASSAN, NUPENG, etc, now choose to apply force or threat to shut down gas supply to the Dangote Refinery unless it acquiesces to their demands. That would amount to terrorism. The perpetrators of such should be treated as criminals by the Nigerian state.

Based on the excuse that the government and administrations in Nigeria don’t understand workers’ language except through strike action, trade unions in Nigeria have, in the past, unwittingly appealed to the use of unreasonable force by unilaterally declaring industrial actions, which have caused Nigerians untold hardship, suffering, and death. Trade union leaders must become law-abiding or be severely punished according to the law.

It should be reiterated that successful modern states have been built on the sacrifices of their leaders and citizens.

Like the modern followers of the Lord Jesus Christ and their leaders who have refused to follow His example of sacrifice and care less about His will but have chosen to exploit the power of His name to build enterprises that promise material benefits and comforts of life in exchange for money, majority of Nigerians view Nigeria as a country that is fit only to be exploited without a commensurable responsibility to preserve its purpose and make it better generations yet unborn. They have instead chosen to make Nigeria worse, and if possible, destroy it. They will fail!

The Almighty God has never been without witnesses who call the people to build a better society. Thus, even when religious leaders fail to live up to their responsibilities as they now do. Remember that God used His unconventional servants like Fela Anikulapo Kuti to speak truth and hope to the people. Another one like him, Sonny Okosuns, spent his life producing popular music, some of which traversed the Christian and Islamic faiths, calling on Africans and Nigerians in particular to build better societies for themselves. For some of us, the works of Fela, Okosuns and others like them would live for generations after them until their noble wishes and aspirations for Nigeria are attained.

Therefore, I invite you to listen to Sonny Okosuns’ ‘Happy Days’ as he calls for a new work ethic in Nigeria.

Frank Tietie,
Nigerian lawyer, media personality, and development advocate writes from Abuja.