The Editor
Fuel retailers in communities hosting the Port Harcourt refinery have kicked against plans to shut down the facility for a 30-day maintenance exercise.
The shutdown, ordered by the refinery coordinator, Bayo Adenrele, has sparked concerns that it may lead to fuel scarcity and increased prices in Nigeria.
The Retailers, through their group, the Host Community Petroleum Bulk Retailers of Port Harcourt Refinery Depot, expressed fears that the shutdown would give market dominance to a private refinery, exacerbating the economic hardship faced by Nigerians. They alleged that Adenrele's actions are designed to cripple the refinery, denying it crude oil and favoring private interests.
They accused Adenrele of: Denying host communities their rightful benefits during the rehabilitation process; engaging in practices that short-change the host communities while favoring his associates and hindering the completion of the CRU of the old refinery plant and slowing down efforts to make the new refinery fully operational.
The group therefore called for the immediate appointment of a substantive Managing Director for the refinery; the removal of Adenrele as coordinator, Intervention from the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, and the Group Chief Executive of the NNPC, Bayo Ojulari, and the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to intervene in the matter
In his response, the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC, Olufemi Soneye, debunked claims of sabotage, stating that the maintenance exercise is necessary to ensure safe and sustainable operation of the refinery. He assured that the NNPC will ensure uninterrupted fuel supply during the period.
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