CITIZENS COMPASS – A civil society organisation, Centre for Social and Economic Rights (CSER) has commended and congratulated Mallam Mele Kyari, the GCEO of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and his management team, for the coming on stream of the Old Port Harcourt refinery which has started producing petroleum products for local consumption after several decades of dashed expectations.
According to a statement issued in Lagos and e-signed by the executive director, Nelson Ekujumi, the group noted that with the functionality of the refinery though presently at 70%, of which it is hoped to ramp to 90% soon, Nigerians are more than happy that at long last after several false starts, NNPCL under the able leadership of Mr. Mele Kyari has finally broken the jinx of non functionality of our national refineries with this feat and it is hoped that same fate of functionality will befall the other refineries at Warri, Kaduna and new Port Harcourt soon.
CSER specifically lauded the administration of President Bola Tinubu for its resilience, focus and determination in seeing through the reforms in the oil industry initiated by his predecessor former President Muhammadu Buhari and which has manifested in the revamping of the Old Port Harcourt refinery against the prediction and wish of naysayers, and charged it to give the NNPCL the needed support and marching order to bring on stream the other moribund refineries as quickly as possible.
The group also commended President Bola Tinubu for the historic feat of the coming on stream of the Port Harcourt refinery during the life of his barely one and half years old administration with the resultant positive impact on the economy. It further asserted that “We are glad and give glory to God, that the international shame of Nigeria being a producer of crude oil and net importer of refined petroleum products over the years, is gradually coming to an end”.
According to the statement, “The coming on stream of the Port Harcourt refinery signals a positive step for the downstream oil sector as provided for in the PIA which stipulates the deregulation of the supply of petroleum products based on market forces for local consumption”. Now, the local petroleum products supply market is being widened with the participation of Dangote refinery, the local modular refineries, and also our national refinery in Port Harcourt and others which are expected soon.
The group however condemned in strong terms, the expected orchestrated campaign of blackmail and calumny by anti democratic elements and agents of darkness against NNPCL even with the coming on stream of the Port Harcourt refinery which has made them sad and paranoid that once again, their wish of doom and negative happenings for Nigeria, has been neutralized by this great and happy news of the coming on stream of the Port Harcourt refinery.
CSER notes with sadness the falsehood and misinformation about the pricing of the PMS from the newly revamped Port Harcourt refinery, but is however delighted that the campaign of calumny has been debunked not only by the NNPCL, but also by the group which propagated the misinformation and falsehood.
The civil society organization then called on Nigerians to remain resolute and unwavering in their commitment to a better society by seeking genuine information from the right sources not allow themselves to be misled and incited by persons and interests, whose stock in trade is to sow seeds of discord and obtain political capital out of every situation through propagation of lies, falsehood and misinformation.
