By HeapNews
Abuja, Nigeria – The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has expressed deep frustration over the continued delay in the rehabilitation and commissioning of Nigeria’s major refineries, calling on President Bola Tinubu to intervene urgently to salvage the projects and ease the nation’s fuel crisis.
In a strongly worded statement issued in Abuja, the association criticized the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for failing to meet multiple deadlines on the refurbishment of the 210,000 barrels per day Port Harcourt Refinery, the 125,000 barrels per day Warri Refinery, and the 110,000 barrels per day Kaduna Refinery.
“The continuous delay in the completion of the Port Harcourt Refinery rehabilitation project and other refinery projects is unacceptable,” said Dr. Billy Gillis-Harry, PETROAN’s National President. “Nigerians deserve to know when the projects will be completed. The huge amount borrowed for the projects should be a serious concern to all citizens, and we will demand accountability for every naira spent.”
While PETROAN acknowledged the recent commencement of operations at the Old Port Harcourt Refinery with a capacity of 60,000 barrels per day, it stressed that the full-scale operations of the larger 210,000 barrels per day second Port Harcourt Refinery are vital for economic relief, particularly in System 2E, which serves 13 states in the country.
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“The completion of the second Port Harcourt Refinery will drastically reduce the exorbitant cost of transporting petroleum products from Lagos to System 2E areas. This has direct implications on fuel affordability for millions of Nigerians,” Dr. Gillis-Harry explained.
To address the crisis, PETROAN is urging President Tinubu to set up a high-level panel of stakeholders, including representatives from the NNPC, NMDPRA, NUPRC, NUPENG, PENGASSAN, MEMAN, DAPPMAN, and PETROAN. The proposed panel would be tasked with identifying the causes of the delay, proposing actionable solutions, and ensuring that the projects are delivered on time.
The association also praised President Tinubu’s recent appointment of Engr. Bayo Ojulari as the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, describing him as “a round peg in a round hole.” However, they warned that the current leadership vacuum at the Port Harcourt Refinery could hinder progress.
“We strongly recommend that the GCEO of NNPC appoint a substantive Managing Director for the Port Harcourt Refinery immediately,” the statement read. “This leadership is critical to providing direction and driving the timely completion of the project.”
Concluding its remarks, PETROAN emphasized that delays in revamping the refineries threaten Nigeria’s goal of achieving energy self-sufficiency and continue to intensify the economic hardship faced by millions.
“It is imperative that decisive action is taken to bring these projects to fruition without further delay,” Dr. Gillis-Harry stated. “The Nigerian people deserve clarity, accountability, and results.”