Porthacourt Refinery Maintenance – ‘K-Leg’ Questions The NNPC Must Answer
By Onorakpene Eviosekwofa
The NNPC Limited on 26 November, 2024 announced to Nigerians that the Porthacourt Refinery began truck loading of petroleum products after a long period of rehabilitation.
Albeit claims of some petroleum marketers who confirmed the offtake of kerosene and diesel from the refinery, none have reported purchasing Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, from the Porthacourt refinery, this has raised questions about its operational output since it was commissioned by the former GMD, Mele Kyari, in November 2024.
The Dangote Refinery Limited, DRL, located in Lekki Free Zone, Lagos, commenced production on January 12, 2024. It has continued to produce and supply petroleum products to Nigerians since then without shutting down for maintenance.
Why has the NNPC Porthacourt refinery that restarted production in November 2024, less than a year in operation, shutting down for maintenance? The shutting down of the Porthacourt refinery has many ‘K-leg’ questions that the GMD, Bayo Ojulari must answer! I hope we are not back to the former days of the NNPC under Mele Kyari!
The Federal Government, under former president Buhari, had good intentions, and it deliberately funded the repairs of the Warri, Kaduna and Porthacourt refineries, with the intention of providing locally refined crude oil and petroleum products to Nigerians at a reduced cost. But what do we have, sadly, the repairs of the three refineries have suddenly become a conduit pipe to fleece government and to embark on a never-ending, repair work of the refineries!
Is it not curious that the DRL has consistently dictated the pace in the reduction of the pump price of petrol, while the NNPC follows suit as if the DRL is a giant in the refining of crude oil and supply of petroleum products to Nigerians? Without the DRL reducing the price of petrol, Nigerians will still be buying petrol at the cut-throat price set by the NNPC!
It is worth noting that the DRL, since she started production has not shut down for maintenance and it has been consistently active, producing and supplying petroleum products to Nigerians since January 2024.
For the sake of refreshing the memories of Nigerians, the Federal Government, under the Buhari government, spent a whooping sum of $1.5 billion to repair the Porthacourt Refinery, yet it did not positively impact on the supply/availability/price of petroleum products to Nigerians!
President Tinubu should not tolerate the Bayo Ojulari-led NNPC to taint his name with this shutdown and maintenance of the Porthacourt Refinery.
Nigeria, We Hail Thee!