Sam Philip
A Non Governmental Organization, Energy Reforms Advocates of Nigeria(ERAN) and All Progressives Congress Youth Vanguard for Change have condemned the dumping of the initial plan to resuscitate the oil refineries in Port Harcourt and Kaduna, calling for immediate fixing of the refineries.
Therefore, the groups have demanded that the NNPCL should restore the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries.
The groups made the call on Friday, warning against the alleged continuous importation of adulterated fuel into country NNPCL.
Dr. Opialu Fabian, who led the two groups, stated that the rehabilitation of the refineries has been plagued by delays and unfulfilled promises, with $1.5billion approved in 2021 for the Port Harcourt refinery and an additional $1.4billion for the Warri and Kaduna refineries.
The groups queried why the promise that the refineries would be fixed soonest has not been fulfilled by the NNPCL’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Melee Kyari.
Dr. Fabian blamed certain entities within the NNPCL for obstructing progress for repairs of the refineries, noting that the devastating impact of the refineries’ failure on Nigerians, include facing endless fuel queues, exorbitant prices, and inflated costs of goods and services.
He said: “We have chosen this moment to speak on behalf of Nigerians to highlight the ongoing, persistent challenges around the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries.
“These failures, unfortunately, continue to place Africa’s largest oil producer in the ironic position of depending entirely on imported petroleum products for domestic consumption.
“This dependency has drained our nation’s foreign reserves, inflated fuel prices, and left Nigerians queuing endlessly at filling stations.
“The excuses provided by NNPCL are, unfortunately, repetitive. We have heard, time and again, explanations citing ‘obsolescence’ ‘corrosion’ and the ‘absence of baseline data for structural integrity verification’.
“Today, the energy sector is a critical cornerstone of Nigeria’s prosperity. Our country, rich in crude oil, should be reaping the benefits of this resource through local refining, lower fuel prices, and foreign exchange conservation. Instead, the leadership at NNPCL continues to drain our economy by prioritizing importation, an act that not only places strain on our foreign reserves but also destabilizes our currency.
“Evidently, the path forward requires a new approach to how contracts are awarded, how funds are managed, and how performance is measured within NNPCL and the refineries.
“Therefore, we must demand that NNPCL provides Nigerians with a detailed account of the current state of the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries. This report should include an outline of how funds have been utilized, reasons for the missed deadlines, and a clear, realistic timeline for when Nigerians can expect results.
“In conclusion, this is a critical moment for Nigeria, one that calls for action and resolve. We are no longer willing to stand by and watch as the nation’s potential is squandered by unaccountable leaders and inefficient practice”