Nigerians were once more informed on Thursday, March 13, that the Port Harcourt Refinery would start operations in two weeks.
During a meeting with the Senate, Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, disclosed the information.
He gave Nigerians the reassurance that the Port Harcourt and other refineries’ delivery dates will not change.
Olufemi Soneye, the NNPCL spokeswoman, claims that in a statement, Kyari stated: “We will ensure that the commitments we made regarding the restoration of these refineries are honored. In December, we finished PHRC’s mechanical completeness.
We currently have crude oil stored in it. Before we re-stream it, regulatory compliance testing are currently being conducted. This refinery will begin operations within the next two weeks, I promise.
We have also performed mechanical work on the Warri Refinery. We are working with our regulators to put it through regulatory compliance procedures. Although we haven’t arrived at that point yet, Kaduna will be prepared by December of this year. We think it will also be completed on time.
Kyari reported that since the plant’s mechanical completion in December of last year, 450,000 barrels of crude have been sent to the Port Harcourt refinery for processing.
“We are all serving this country dutifully and loyally,” he said, pleading with all parties involved in the reconstruction effort for their collaboration. Nigerians need to realize that we will do this mission gradually.
The statement further stated that an on-the-spot evaluation of work progress was anticipated when the Senate Ad-hoc Committee visited the three refineries in Kaduna, Warri, and Port Harcourt shortly.
Normally, Nigerians would be celebrating the NNPCL boss’s promise.
However, that is untrue. If anything, the news has infuriated the majority of Nigerians.
The majority of Nigerians were not amused by what should have been welcome news, perhaps because similar promises had been made in the past with no success.
Indeed, hearing that the refinery would operate in Port Harcourt, Warri, or Kaduna has become a cliche.
Since the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which had ruled for 16 years, was overthrown in 2015 by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), there have been assurances of turnaround maintenance for the Port Harcourt Refinery and other facilities, as well as their eventual operation, but none of these have ever materialized.
Thus, most Nigerians took the NNPCL’s announcement on Thursday that the government was committed to stopping fuel importation and that the PH Refinery would start operations in two weeks as a sign that the government was ready to really stop fuel importation with a grain of salt.
Given the previous assurances, the majority of people expressed skepticism, therefore not many were thrilled.
Diverse opinions exist regarding the progress.
While some people simply wrote the news off as more political bluster, others stated that even though such assurances had never worked well in the past, they were willing to give the administration a chance this time.
Alhaji Yerima Shettima, the head of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), is among those advocating for Nigerians to give the administration a pass this time.
Even though he would prefer to stay optimistic this time, he added that given the government’s past promises regarding the same refinery, which ended in failure, he cannot hold it against individuals who don’t trust it.
The issue with the pledge, he said is that our administration speaks hypocritically and that prior commitments have come and gone without being kept.
Therefore, a lot of people will be doubting this one even if it is legitimate. However, I’m hoping that this won’t be the same tale as you can’t keep saying one thing today and something another the next.
“Because you always want to say something and give people optimism without something on the ground to accomplish such promises, doing that would put you on the defensive.”
He cautioned that purposefully misleading the public would only incite their wrath and be detrimental to society, and he asked the government to be truthful and honest with Nigerians.
“You incite people’s wrath more when you lie to them about the refinery.”
Therefore, I believe that the government should make an effort to fulfill its word this time.
I am always hopeful and firmly believe that there will be light at the end of the tunnel, thus I do not belong to the group of people who don’t think things will turn out.
Therefore, all they have to do is rewire themselves to communicate with Nigerians in a more genuine and honest manner,” he stated.
He pointed out that the country’s refineries and other infrastructure depend on the government doing everything within its power because the situation is so dire.
Additionally, he counseled the leaders to stop making excuses because, at the time of their election, they were fully aware of the circumstances.
“We are in a critical moment where people need to realize that something is wrong and that the government needs to act as well because they were aware of the issue before they assumed office.
“We are in a critical moment where people need to realize that something is wrong and that the government needs to act as well because they were aware of the issue before they assumed office.
In order for all of us to survive this difficult time, he said, “And to that extent, ours is to support them, and let them be honest to Nigerians.”
Nothing would come of the commitment, according to Dr. Pogu Bitrus, head of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF).
He doesn’t think that Nigerians’ mindset has changed and doesn’t want them to place any hope in the promise that they won’t have to go through needless hardship.
“We use anything to spread propaganda. Everything is politicized by us. When the Port Harcourt Refinery is not entirely on course, the President does not need to inform us that it is.
“Let this administration begin to implement new policies. In an interview, he stated that when anything is wrong, people should come out and tell Nigerians the truth rather than lying to them in order to gain political capital.
He went on, “There is no use in misleading the public. Rather than believing that by spreading lies, they are engaging in political play, let them speak the truth and they would be more valued.
“Nigerians will quickly lose faith in them as they are dishonoring themselves instead.”
He pointed out that the government is making an effort to put things right, but it would have been right to acknowledge that the prior pledge could not be honored for whatever reason.
Therefore, we are hoping that they will own up to their errors and apologize, saying, “We were wrong; we were deceived; this is the correct stage of the Port Harcourt Refinery, and hopefully we are working on it and it is going to work.” They have said things that do not match what they said. That seems like a preferable course of action, he said.
IK Onodi, a lawyer and public pundit, concurred and said he did not think the refinery would start up in two weeks.
He claimed that similar claims had been made in the past but that none of them had been fulfilled, therefore he would not trust anyone until he saw that the refinery had truly begun refining.
It is claimed that deeds speak louder than words, in his opinion. When the Dangote Refinery was put into service last year, we were informed that production would begin in July of that same year.
“The Dangote Refinery has not processed a single drop of crude oil since July of last year, a period of around nine months.
“We have received vague assurances that the Port Harcourt Refinery and more refineries will soon begin operations.
If I were in charge of the government, I wouldn’t make any announcements until the refinery begins to produce. Once it does, I would inform the people of Nigeria that the product is coming from the Warri, Kaduna, or PH refineries. I won’t believe it unless I witness it.
Anthony Obidulu, an industrialist, believed that the refinery would not function in the two weeks that the NNPCL had promised.
He said that the refinery has turned into a cancer for Nigerian society and that he would sell it for $1 if given the chance.
The promise will not yield any results. It will follow the same path as earlier refinery-related promises.
“Recall that the same Port Harcourt Refinery was sold to Mike Otedola and Aliko Dangote during Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, but the money was later returned to them.”
“And the refinery has not resumed operations since that money was returned to Otedola and Dangote; instead, promises upon promises have been made.” It is now considered a cancer in Nigerian society.
“It should just close; I’m sick of that refinery’s politics. From the Obasanjo era onward, politicians have utilized it as a political tool.
What exactly is a refinery? What is constructing a refinery so important? If we are sincere, we might have constructed more than four refineries since 1999, when democratic administration was restored.
“Leave the refinery alone; we have been playing politics with it for almost 25 years,” he declared.