Roland Iwuchukwu
The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has demanded the completion of rehabilitation works on the new Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries.
According to a statement on Monday by Joseph Obele, the association’s national public relations officer (PRO), Billy Gillis-Harris, president of PETROAN, made the demand, expressing deep concern over the persistent delays in the completion of the projects.
“Despite numerous assurances from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its officials, the projects have suffered repeated setbacks, with completion deadlines being missed multiple times,” he said.
“While we acknowledge and applaud the commencement of the Old Port Harcourt refinery with the capacity of 60,000 barrels per day, we cannot stress enough the urgent need for commissioning, transparency, and accountability of the second Port Harcourt Refinery with the capacity of 210,000 barrels per day, the Warri refinery and the Kaduna Refinery.
“PETROAN therefore demands that the NNPC provide a specific and realistic timeline for the completion and commissioning of these refineries, especially the second Port Harcourt Refinery rehabilitation project.”
‘HOW DELAY IN COMPLETION OF REFINERY AFFECTS NIGERIA’S ECONOMY’
According to the association’s president, the new Port Harcourt refinery, when completed, “will serve the whole of system 2E, comprising about 13 states”.
Gillis-Harris said it will reduce the cost of transporting petroleum products from Lagos to other states.
“The current cost of transportation is highly exorbitant and affects the affordability of petroleum products in System 2E areas,” he said.
“Nigerians and stakeholders want to know the exact date of delivery of the revamp project. The Nigerian people deserve clarity on when they can expect the refineries to commence operations and contribute to alleviating the nation’s fuel scarcity challenges.
“We call on the relevant authorities to ensure that the NNPC adheres strictly to the contract timeline, once provided, and maintains regular communication with stakeholders on the project’s progress.”
Given the nature of the delays and their far-reaching implications for the nation’s economy and welfare, Gillis-Harris called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene by setting up a high-level facilitating panel.
“This panel should comprise relevant stakeholders, including representatives from NMDPRA, NUPRC, NNPC, NUPENG, PENGASSAN, MEMAN, DAPPMAN, PETROAN, and other industry experts, to identify bottlenecks, provide solutions, and ensure the project’s timely completion,” he said.
PETROAN president said the coming onstream of the refineries will improve Nigeria’s petroleum sufficiency and positively impact price stability.
However, he said the project is running behind schedule.
“The continuous delay in the completion of the Port Harcourt Refinery rehabilitation project and other refinery projects is unacceptable, and Nigerians deserve to know when the projects will be completed,” he said.
“The huge amount borrowed for the projects should be a serious concern to all citizens, and we will demand accountability for every naira spent on this project.”
Also, Gillis-Harris said the current vacancy in the office of the managing director of the Port Harcourt refinery could be a significant barrier to the project’s progress.
“We strongly recommend that the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC appoint a substantive Managing Director for the Port Harcourt Refinery in the shortest possible time,” he said.
“This appointment would provide the necessary leadership and direction to drive the project forward and ensure its timely completion.”
Gillis-Harris said the prolonged delay in the refinery’s completion not only undermines the nation’s efforts to achieve self-sufficiency in petroleum products but also exacerbates the economic hardship Nigerians face.