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P’Harcourt refinery misses seventh production rollout deadline
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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has again failed to begin fuel production at the Port Harcourt refinery in Rivers State.
This is despite the refinery failing to commence operations after about six postponements as of August 2024.
The PUNCH observed that promises made to Nigerians by the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and NNPC about the refinery have continued to hit brick walls.
After the failure of the early August promise, the Chief Financial Officer of the NNPC, Umar Ajiya, said the Port Harcourt refinery will commence operations in September 2024.
Speaking to journalists in August, Ajiya had said petroleum products would be ready for testing before being supplied to the domestic market in September.
As September ended yesterday, the NNPC did not give an update about the refinery.
Our correspondent contacted the NNPC last week for an update about the refinery, but there was no response.
The Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the oil firm, Olufemi Soneye, did not reply to enquiries sent to him on September 22 and 30, 2024.
However, Maire Tecnimont SpA, the contractor overseeing the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery, said it would provide details on the project’s completion by or before October 2.
The contractor conveyed this through a law firm, Olajide Oyewole LLP, in response to a letter from a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, who had inquired about the completion timeline for the refinery’s rehabilitation.
In reply to Falana’s request, the law firm stated that its client received his letters dated September 17 and 24, regarding the contract with the NNPC and is considering the inquiries.
“Our client is considering your letters and they intend to get back to you on or before 2 October 2024,” the law firm had said.
Since December 2023, NNPC, which is in charge of all the government refineries, has given Nigerians different dates, assuring them that the refinery would begin the sale of refined products soon.
In July, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPC, Mele Kyari, stated categorically that the refinery would come into operation in early August.
The same Kyari said in 2019 that the NNPC would deliver all the country’s four refineries before the end of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
While appearing before the Senate in July, Kyari boasted, “I can confirm to you, Mr Chairman, that by the end of the year, this country will be a net exporter of petroleum products.
“Specific to NNPC refineries, we have spoken to a number of your committees, and it is impossible to have the Kaduna refinery come into operation before December, it will get to December, both Warri and Kaduna, but that of Port Harcourt will commence production early August this year.”
However, the promise was not fulfilled in August which was the sixth postponement.
Though the NNPC said it was on course, the refinery has yet to commence operations.
The PUNCH recalls that the 210,000 barrels per day refinery was said to have reached what the NNPC called mechanical completion of rehabilitation work in December. It stated that the facility would start refining 60,000 barrels of crude oil daily after last year’s Christmas break.
Later in January, Kyari said the refinery was being tested and would be ready by the end of January.
During the second month of the year, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited completed the supply of 475,000 barrels of crude oil to the facility, raising the expectations of marketers that production was set to commence.
This came a few weeks after the NNPC said in January that it was seeking to engage reputable and credible operations and maintenance companies to run the refinery.
In mid-March, Kyari said the Port Harcourt refinery would commence operations in two weeks, April.
“We are serving this country with honour and dignity. And we will make sure that the promises we make on the rehabilitation of these refineries will take place,” Kyari stated after he appeared before the Senate Ad-hoc Committee investigating the various turnaround maintenance projects of the country’s refineries.
As the April deadline elapsed, independent petroleum marketers told The PUNCH that the facility would begin production by the end of July.
Commenting on this, NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Soneye, said regulatory approvals from international bodies were the only impediment stalling the operational commencement of the refinery.
Some Nigerians have expressed disappointment that the nation’s refineries have remained moribund for years. The country has since depended on imported fuel due to a lack of refining capacity, spending up to N2tn monthly.
The President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, said $4bn had been spent by the Federal Government in an attempt to revive the nation’s refineries.
The refinery, situated in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta region, has been in operation since 1965, but later became moribund for several years.
In March 2021, the Nigerian government acquired a $1.5bn loan for the renovation and modernisation of the refinery; a move that was criticised by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who advocated the sale of all government refineries.
While reacting to the plan to hand the refinery over to private managers, Atiku tackled former President Muhammadu Buhari and the incumbent President Bola Tinubu for failing to heed his advice that the refinery and others owned by the government should be sold to private individuals.
Meanwhile, Nigerians are hopeful that the refinery will begin operations so that the country can stop fuel importation and witness a crash in the pump prices of petrol.
Credit: PUNCH
News
Naira Continues to slide Against Dollar At The Black Market
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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Naira continued its fall against the dollar at the parallel foreign exchange market on Thursday.
A Bureau de Change operator in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja, Abubakar Alhasan, said that the Naira dropped to N1500 per dollar on Thursday from N1490 exchanged on Wednesday.
This showed that the Naira fell by N10 against the dollar on Thursday compared to the N1,490 per dollar exchange rate the previous day.
Recall that this is the second time this week, the naira had weakened at the black market.
Meanwhile, at the official market, the Naira rose slightly by N0.04 to N1,499.07 on Thursday from N1,499.11 on Wednesday.
News
Troops Nab Notorious Bandit, Hassan in Zamfara
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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Troops have nabbed Kachallah Hassan Nabamamu, a notorious bandit kingpin terrorizing communities in Mada, Tsafe, and other parts of Zamfara State.
Zagazola Makama, shared the news on Friday via a post on his X handle, revealing that the operation took place on February 27 in the Gusau Local Government Area of the state. The troops, part of Operation FANSAR YANMA, carried out a well-planned ambush, resulting in a fierce firefight. Several bandits were killed during the operation, while others fled with gunshot wounds.
Initially, Nabamamu fled to nearby homes but was soon pursued and captured alive by the security forces. However, hours after his arrest, his gang, led by Bakin Malam, retaliated by attacking Chediya, Bamamu, and Makera villages. The gang issued threats to residents, warning them of violent action unless Nabamamu was released. This prompted many villagers to flee in fear.
The Nigerian troops, however, quickly responded with superior firepower, forcing the bandits to retreat and preventing further attacks. Both air and land troops were deployed to safeguard the area while intelligence operations continue to track down fleeing gang members.
Nabamamu, who hails from Tsafe, Gidan Alhaji Kaduna, began his criminal activities as an Almajiri before attending Model Primary School, Tsafe. For over three decades, he was involved in armed robbery and later became one of the first Fulani men to engage in large-scale banditry in Zamfara. His criminal notoriety began with a violent robbery at the home of Sani Dan Kyaso, during which multiple murders were committed.
News
FG speaks As Air France Diverts to Togo, Leaving Nigerian Passengers Stranded
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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Some Nigerian passengers were left frustrated and delayed after an Air France flight, traveling from Paris to Abuja, was rerouted to Lomé, Togo, due to bad weather in the Nigerian capital.
This unexpected turn of events prompted a quick response from Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo. He voiced his concerns over how Air France handled the situation.
The airline’s decision to land in Lomé was made to avoid a risky landing in Abuja caused by severe weather. However, Keyamo expressed dissatisfaction with the airline’s plan to leave passengers stranded overnight in Lomé, despite the weather in Abuja clearing up and the aircraft being ready to return.
Taking to his official social media, Keyamo confirmed that he had contacted both his team and Air France to demand immediate action. He insisted that passengers be promptly flown back to Abuja or, if they had to stay in Lomé, they should receive proper accommodations and care according to international standards.
“I’ve been alerted about the situation involving mostly Nigerian passengers stuck in Lomé by Air France. I stressed that they must return to Abuja tonight, or if they stay in Lomé, they should be treated according to best international standards,” Keyamo tweeted on Thursday night.
Passengers, understandably upset, had voiced concerns about the lack of communication and the potential for being left stranded. Thankfully, due to Keyamo’s intervention, efforts were made to ensure their safe return to Abuja.
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