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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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“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.

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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.

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“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.

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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.

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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

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Senate president’s wife, Mrs Unoma Akpabio defends husband, threatens Natasha with legal action

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Wife of President of the Senate, Mrs. Ekaette Unoma Akpabio has rubbished allegations of se3ual harassment leveled against her husband, Senator Godswill Akpabio, by Senator Natasha Akpoti in a TV interview.

Mrs. Akpabio, addressing newsmen in a video clip, recounted the cordial relationship that existed between her family and Senator Natasha’s family, as she dismissed the allegations as a figment of wild imaginations.

She maintained that the allegations were unfounded, as she was present at her family residence on the alleged date, 8th December, 2023.

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She stated that both families enjoyed a long-standing cordial relationship that predated Senator Natasha’s marriage to her husband.

Mrs. Akpabio praised her husband’s discipline as a man who loves and respects his family, citing his track record of supporting women’s inclusion in government even before his emergence as Senate President.

Mrs. Akpabio urged women to desist from peddling such false allegations as she vowed to seek legal redress on the matter.

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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:

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@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.”

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@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.”

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@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.”

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