Kehinde Fajobi
The Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has dismissed claims that the Port Harcourt Refinery Company (PHRC) is non-functional, affirming the facility’s operations and ongoing production of petroleum products.
In a statement issued in Abuja, PETROAN’s national public relations officer, Dr. Joseph Obele, clarified the refinery’s status.
He said, “The National Headquarters of PETROAN is compelled to set the records straight. We state emphatically that the Old Port Harcourt refinery is currently functional and producing refined petroleum products.
“On Tuesday 26th November 2024, the top management of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) led by Engr Mele Kyari took stakeholders and journalists to the plant to have first-hand information and to see things themselves.”
Obele revealed that the old refinery is operating at 70% of its installed capacity, with plans to increase to 90%.
He added that the operational plant, built in 1965, has a capacity of 60,000 barrels per day. Meanwhile, the newer refinery, with a 200,000-barrel-per-day capacity, is still undergoing rehabilitation and is expected to commence production soon.
He urged skeptics to visit the refinery for verification rather than spreading misinformation.
“As part of PETROAN’s oversight function, we have direct access to the plant on the authorization of management and encourage anyone doubting the functional status of the plant to contact NNPC management for a facility tour,” he said.
Obele also noted that a recent fact-finding mission by the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources, led by Senator S. A. Kawu Sumaila, confirmed the refinery’s functionality and observed petroleum trucks loading products at the depot.
PETROAN commended NNPCL’s leadership under Engr Mele Kyari for reviving the refinery, which had been dormant for over 21 years.
The association also called on the Federal Ministry of Works to expedite repairs on the Eleme East-West Road, which poses safety risks for trucks transporting flammable products.
Former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode also lauded the refinery’s revival, describing it as “one of the most encouraging things that has happened in the petroleum sector for many years.”
He credited the achievement to President Tinubu and NNPCL’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari.
Fani-Kayode criticised private sector players allegedly undermining the refinery’s success.
He stated, “It is a pity that some elements in the private sector who are new in the field are doing all they can to undermine and understate this great victory for Nigeria. Let the new kid on the block flourish, but let the NNPC refineries flourish too.”
He expressed optimism about the nation’s progress, concluding, “Every optimistic and true lover of Nigeria’s progress and President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda must be proud of the GMD Mele Kyari. Surely this is hope renewed for Nigerians.”