The Petroleum Merchandise Retail Shops House owners Affiliation of Nigeria (PETROAN) has known as on the Nigerian Nationwide Petroleum Firm (NNPC) to expedite the completion of the continuing rehabilitation of the Warri, Kaduna, and Port Harcourt refineries.
In an announcement launched on Monday, PETROAN President, Billy Gillis-Harris, expressed concern over the repeated delays affecting the refinery initiatives, regardless of a number of commitments made by the NNPC.
“Regardless of quite a few assurances from the NNPC, the initiatives have suffered repeated setbacks, with completion deadlines being missed a number of instances,” he stated.
Gillis-Harris stated the present state of the refineries is affecting the distribution and affordability of petroleum merchandise throughout the nation, significantly within the System 2E area, which includes about 13 states.
He stated whereas PETROAN acknowledged the graduation of operations on the Outdated Port Harcourt Refinery with a capability of 60,000 barrels per day, consideration should urgently shift to the second Port Harcourt Refinery (210,000 bpd), and the stalled rehabilitation works on the Warri and Kaduna refineries.
He additionally urged the NNPC to supply a particular and real looking timeline for the completion and commissioning of the remaining initiatives.
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“The continual delay is unacceptable. Nigerians should know when these initiatives can be accomplished,” he stated.
Gillis-Harris known as on President Bola Tinubu to intervene by organising a high-level panel involving stakeholders reminiscent of NMDPRA, NUPRC, NUPENG, PENGASSAN, MEMAN, DAPPMAN, and PETROAN to establish challenges and guarantee well timed completion.
He additionally raised considerations over the vacant place of the managing director on the Port Harcourt Refining Firm, describing it as a possible barrier to progress.
PETROAN stated the delay and lack of transparency across the initiatives had been worsening the nation’s gas challenges and demanded accountability for funds allotted for the rehabilitations.
