APC Group, CSO Tackle Mele Kyari Over Persistent Failure To Restore Port Harcourt, Kaduna Refineries
- The Energy Reforms Advocates of Nigeria and the APC Youth Vanguard for Change have condemned the NNPCL for its failure to restore the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries
- Thr group's representative, Dr. Opialu Fabian, questioned the integrity of NNPCL's CEO, Mele Kyari
- The advocates are calling for a complete overhaul of NNPCL's leadership and increased transparency in managing rehabilitation contracts
The Energy Reforms Advocates of Nigeria, in collaboration with the APC Youth Vanguard for Change, has publicly condemned the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL).
This condemnation is coming in light of the continuous failure by the NNPCL to restore the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries.
Source: Original
This criticism comes despite significant investments aimed at revitalizing the country’s refining capacity.
At a press conference on Friday, October 25, the groups expressed frustration over the delays in rehabilitating the refineries.
Over $1.5bn approved for Port Hacourt refinery
They highlighted that a staggering $1.5 billion was approved in 2021 for the Port Harcourt Refinery alone, along with an additional $1.4 billion for the Warri and Kaduna refineries, The Cable reported.
NNPCL's Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, has made repeated assurances regarding the imminent restoration of these facilities, but the advocates argue that these promises have yet to materialize.
Dr. Opialu Fabian, a representative of the Energy Reforms Advocates, questioned the integrity of Kyari's leadership, stating:
“It begs the question: Are these statements made with sincerity, or are they merely attempts to pacify Nigerians with false hope?”
He further alleged that certain entities within NNPCL might be intentionally obstructing progress to sustain a lucrative fuel importation business, Vanguard reported.
The advocates emphasized the detrimental impact of the refineries’ failure on everyday Nigerians, who continue to endure long fuel queues and rising prices. Fabian warned,
“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, they claimed, has drained the nation's foreign reserves and inflated fuel prices, creating a cycle of hardship for citizens.
In their statement, they declared:
“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.’”
Call for overhaul and transparency
The Energy Reforms Advocates also urged for a complete overhaul of the NNPCL executive team.
“After more than three years of unfulfilled promises and costly mismanagement, it is evident that the current leadership lacks the vision and competence needed to drive Nigeria’s energy sector forward,” they stated.
The groups called for transparency in the management of rehabilitation contracts, demanding that NNPCL provides a detailed account of the current state of the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries.
Dangote refinery begins direct petrol sale to marketers
In another development, Legit.ng reported that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has begun supplying petrol to some oil marketers without resorting to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).
The development comes as marketers strengthen their move to purchase the product directly from the facility. While others imported petrol, reports say over 123 million litres will hit the market in the coming weeks.
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Source: Legit.ng
