The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, PETROAN, has expressed deep concern over the persistent delays in the completion of the ongoing rehabilitation of the 210,000 barrels per day Port Harcourt Refinery.
In a Statement by the Association’s Public Relations Officer, Dr. Joseph Obelle, PETROAN President Dr. Billy Gillis-Harry said that despite numerous assurances from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited and its officials, the project has suffered repeated setbacks, with completion deadlines being missed multiple times.
Dr. Gillis-Harry, stated that the commencement of operations at the 210,000 barrels capacity refinery at Alesa Eleme will improve Nigeria’s petroleum sufficiency and impact positively on price stability.
“The continuous delay in the completion of the Port Harcourt Refinery rehabilitation project is unacceptable, and Nigerians deserve to know when the project will be completed. The huge amount borrowed for the project should be a serious concern to all citizens, and we will demand accountability for every naira spent on this project.”
He stated that the due to the nature of these delays and their far-reaching implications for the nation’s economy and welfare, President Bola Tinubu should intervene by setting up a high-level facilitating panel comprising relevant stakeholders, including representatives from PETROAN, NMDPRA, NUPENG, PENGASSAN, MEMA, DAPPMAN, NNPC, and other industry experts, to identify bottlenecks, provide solutions, and ensure the project’s timely completion.
The statement noted that Nigerian people deserve clarity on when they can expect the second refinery to commence operations and further called on relevant authorities to ensure that the NNPCL adheres strictly to the contract timeline, once provided, and maintains regular communication with stakeholders on the project’s progress.
According to the statement PETROAN decried the current vacancy in the office of the Managing Director of the Port Harcourt Refinery which has significant barrier to the project’s completion and urged the Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL to appoints a substantive Managing Director for the Port Harcourt Refinery in the shortest possible time.
