News
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
Ramadan: Again, Sen Manu embarks on massive distribution of over 30,000 bags of rice, millet, and sugar to constituents (Photos)
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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Again, the Senator, representing Taraba Central Senatorial District Senator Haruna Manu has embarked on massive distribution of over 30,000 bags of rice, sugar, and Millet as Ramadan packages in Taraba Central Senatorial District.
Recall that in 2024, the tireless Senator embarked on a similar exercise putting smiles on the faces of his constituent’s.
Apparently not taking chances to allow his constituents go through the economic hardship in Nigeria, bags of rice, sugar,millet, and spaghetti
were distributed to the five(5) local Government Areas of Taraba Central District, in order to reduce the hardship during the fasting of the holy month of Ramadan 2025
The Committee of the Ramadan Palliative Distribution under the leadership of Sen. Manu DG Campaign Rt. Hon. Simon Dogari has distributes of the food Items on Friday 28th of February 2025, at Sen. Manu residence in the capital city of Taraba State Jalingo.
The lawmaker urged the beneficiaries to use the items to improve their standard of living and those of their family members.
He said the packages were meant to ease the Economic hardship among the less privileged across the zone and to enable the people perform Ramadan fast with ease and happiness.
The Lawmaker urged Distribution Committee of various Local Government to ensure the Food items are shared among the less privileged.
Some of the beneficiaries appreciated the Lawmaker for the kind gesture, praying to God to bless him abundantly.
that is because of that you were able to cover things
News
SARS protest: Man reportedly denied asylum in Canada over past role
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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
A Nigerian man has been reportedly denied asylum in Canada after authorities discovered he was formerly a member of the disbanded SARS unit of the Nigerian Police Force.
This was revealed in a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) by a user who claimed to have personal knowledge of the case.
According to the user, Canadian officials conducted a thorough investigation into the man’s background and asked him several questions about his activities while in Nigeria.
The investigation reportedly uncovered that SARS — the Special Anti-Robbery Squad — had a notorious record of extrajudicial killings and widespread human rights violations.
The user wrote: “Canada refused the asylum application of someone I know because he was with the SARS unit of the Nigerian Police before he traveled. They said the unit was known for killings and human rights violations.”
As the post circulated online, concerned individuals took to the comment section to share their reactions.
See some reactions below:
@justkency: “I know someone, a former SARS policeman, who was deported. He is back in Nigeria. Left for Canada with his wife, returned alone. Wife Don waka – true life story.”
@MaziAwkaetiti: “I think this is similar to a recent story of a Nigerian police man who go deported or refused. I saw the post somewhere, earlier this week.”
@SimoncoleB: “As it should be. More focus on Nigeria now by the rest of the world.”
@IamEriOluwa: “They do it for all the armed forces in Nigeria. Awon Canadians n binu gan o.”
@Ishow_leck: “This will definitely traumatize him. Lol. It’s God’s payback.”
@ChukwunyeluOrji: “why is he seeking for asylum in canada??? is nigeria fighting a war? is his life in danger? the last time i checked, there is very low rate of unemployment in nigeria and inflation is very down, why is he running away from a chaos he helped create??”
@Dharmmie001: “Why is he also requesting Asylum, on what basis.”
@osifekomark: “Canada that has a list of all confraternities in Nigeria, their insignias and how they operate wont know SARS? These countries know us more than ourselves.”
@ChiefiKORO: “The world is keenly watching human right violations in Nigeria. Thanks to social media.”
@LKuntra: “The fact that most governments didn’t interfere/talk about endsars (jurisdiction) didn’t mean they didn’t see what happened. They’re aware, they’re just busy trying to preserve their nation interest. But they’re aware.”
@Great_Eki: “We need more consequence like this extended to politicians.”
News
How driver handed abducted Oyo NYSC member to k!dnappers
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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Aminat Lawal, the sister of the abducted National Youth Service Corps member, Rofiat Lawal, who was kidnapped along the Benin-Ore Expressway on Tuesday, has disclosed that her sister was handed over to the abductors who were suspected Fulanis by the driver conveying them.
Aminat disclosed this in an exclusive interview with PUNCH Metro on Thursday.
PUNCH Metro reports that Rofiat was abducted by yet-to-be-identified kidnappers while returning to her Place of Primary Assignment in Oyo State.
A friend of the victim identified as Agbakwara, who raised the alarm about Rofiat’s kidnap in a post on Facebook on Wednesday, noted that the abductors were demanding the sum of N20m for her release.
Agbakwara wrote, “My close friend, Lawal Rofiat Kofoworola, was kidnapped on her way from Benin to Ibadan to resume her PPA in Ogbomosho. She managed to call on Thursday and told me she was on an Ore-bound bus when she was taken.
“This is someone who has struggled all her life, supporting herself through university by working at the Dufil company in Benin. Now, kidnappers are demanding N20 million, and we don’t know what to do. Her parents are less privileged and can’t afford this.
“I have reported to the NYSC Secretariat in Ibadan and dropped her call-up number, but there has been no response. We are exhausted and desperate for help.”
Speaking with our correspondent, Aminat disclosed that her sister narrated that the driver conveying them from Benin stopped at Ore where the kidnappers came out from a nearby bush and took them while the driver zoomed off.
She narrated that when the kidnappers contacted them, they demanded N25m ransom for her release, which they pleaded they could not pay, but after several back and forth, they lowered the demand to N5m.
Aminat said, “She contacted us on Tuesday to tell us that she was kidnapped and she said that the driver of the car she boarded was the one who dropped them at the spot where she was kidnapped alongside other passengers.
“When we spoke with the kidnappers, they asked us to bring N25m and we told them that we did not have such money. She is the one who sponsored herself in school. They have reduced the ransom to N5m.”
Meanwhile, the family had resorted to crowdfunding to raise the ransom as requested by the abductors.
In a follow-up conversation with Agbakwara, on Thursday, he noted that the family had resorted to crowdfunding to raise the ransom demanded by the abductors while corroborating the claim that the abducted corper was handed over to her abductors by the driver.
“This evening, the kidnappers allowed my friend and the other victims to call their families. She told me in tears that they were handed over to the Fulani kidnappers after the vehicle they were in dropped them off and drove away. They are all female and have been suffering without food since they were taken.
“The kidnappers are demanding N20m, but she begged that we help raise any amount at all to begin negotiations. She has already spent two days in captivity, and we don’t know what will happen next. We are scared and desperate for help.
Please, Nigerians, any amount you can donate will go a long way. We can’t wait any longer. Let’s come together and help bring her back safely,” Agbakwara said.
The Oyo State NYSC Coordinator, Odoba Abel Oche, who confirmed the incident in a telephone conversation with our correspondent earlier on Thursday, noted that the victim had left Oyo State for Edo State without notifying the state’s NYSC leadership.
He stressed that security operatives had been alerted to the situation for necessary action while saying that he was not aware if any ransom had been requested by the abductors.
“Her parents reported the incident to us yesterday. We were not aware of the incident before her parents reported it.
“We have contacted the national headquarters, the Ondo and Edo NYSC and we have also alerted security agencies for necessary action. I am not aware if the kidnappers have reached out to demand ransom.
“She went home to Benin without informing the NYSC authority against the instruction of the NYSC. The NYSC has continued to emphasise to corps members the need to always notify the authorities before they travel and to also avoid night travels,” Oche said.
Efforts to get the reaction of the Ondo Police Public Relations Office, Odunlami, proved abortive as she had yet to respond to calls made to her line as at the time of filing this report.
There are growing concerns over the renewed surge in kidnapping which has left no fewer than five other persons captive in the last two weeks.
On February 17, some gunmen kidnapped the National President of the Afenifere Youth Council, Eniola Ojajuni, in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
Similarly, four female students of the Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, Benue State were abducted on the university’s campus by yet-to-be-identified gunmen on Tuesday.
PUNCH Metro reported in July 2024 that some abducted corps members from Ondo State said the family of each of the victims paid a sum of N1 million before they were set free.
The five victims, who include four corps members and one artisan, were kidnapped by the bandits at about 11 pm at Omi Alafa Village in Ifon, Ose Local Government Area, and dragged the victims into the forest.
The corps members were said to be going back home after the three-week National Youth Service Corps Orientation camp in Enugu and Abia States. It was gathered that the driver and one passenger sitting in front of the vehicle were shot dead by the bandits
PUNCH
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