News
P’Harcout Refinery: CSO knocks NNPCL for berating host community leader
***calls on Tinubu to sack Kyari immediately, as refinery stops production
For coming out to disparage a leader from the host community of the Port Harcourt refinery, a group, known as Network of Oil Producing Communities in Nigeria (NOPCN), has come hard on the foremost regulatory agency, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL).
This was, even as, the group has called on President Bola Tinubu to relieve the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of NNPCL, Mallam Mele Kyari of his duties, for misleading the President and Nigerians about the operation of the Port Harcourt refinery.
In a statement on Sunday signed by the President, Engr. Igeniwari Edward, and Comrade Omototsho Ogbe, the group corroborated the comments of the Secretary of the Alesa Community Stakeholders, Timothy Mgbere, saying, the petroleum products loaded from the newly rehabilitated Port-Harcourt Refinery were not freshly refined but dead stocks left in the storage tank of the facility since 2016.
“Before shutting down in 2016, the Port Harcourt refinery had some large quantity of dead stock left in the tank, and were only evacuated from the storage to some trucks during the rehabilitation of Old Area 5.
“Some dead stocks like Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) DPK (kerosene), and Automated Gas Oil (diesel) were stored in the tanks in large quantity. What NNPC did was to evacuate them into waiting trucks, making the President and Nigerians to believe they were loading freshly refined products into those trucks.
“It is not only Chief Mgbere that knew about this fact, all of us from Alesa, infact, all the suburbs in Eleme can attest to this.
“It also doesn’t surprise us that the NNPCL shut down the refinery sooner than they claimed it was operating. That’s because they ran out of lies and couldn’t cajole the President any further.
“Kyari should be so sober right now and I believe he is already aware that the much celebrated 60,000 capacity segment of the refinery they claimed to have rehabilitated was shut down 2 days ago and no activity is happening there any longer.
“The President should not wait any further before he sacks Mele Kyari and all his accomplices in this national monumental trick they pulled on Nigerians on Tuesday. He should not only be sacked, Kyari should tell Nigerians what happened to over N17 trillion naira injected into the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries.
“Nigerians should also join our Network to say NO to conversion of any of the refineries to a blending plant. We all know the environmental degredations our people having been facing over oil exploration and bunkering activities. We don’t want any further hazard on our land. Kyari should just deliver exactly what the government paid for and stop fighting our leaders in the host communities”, the statement read.
Chief Mgbere, Secretary to Alesa Community Stakeholders Forum, had appeared on a national television show on Thursday, alleging that the Port Harcourt refinery only loaded six trucks on Tuesday, despite stating that 200 trucks would be picked up from the refinery daily, adding that the many trucks parked within the premises were tucked up with dead stock and off-spec of old products.
Alesa, one of the 10 major communities in Eleme, Rivers State, is the host community of the Port-Harcourt Refinery.
But in response to the allegations, the NNPCL denied claims by an Alesa community leader, in a statement signed Friday by its Spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, saying the agency did not lie when it said the Port Harcourt refinery was producing crude oil.
The NNPCL accused Mgbere of crass ignorance of how a refinery runs, saying he would not have dignified him with a response if not for a need to set the records straight.
“We call on the general public to disregard the claims of the self-acclaimed ‘community person’ which are obviously borne out of sheer mischief and blatant display of ignorance,” NNPCL had said.
Meanwhile, exclusive report emerging from Sahara Reporters Saturday night corroborated the position of the Network of Oil Producing Communities in Nigeria, that the NNPCL has shut down operation “at the moment” with only its non-petroleum unit running which is the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU).
The CDU produces naphtha, kerosene and diesel but cannot produce the component which is needed for the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol, top sources at the refinery disclosed to SaharaReporters on Saturday.
“The Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) is still running but the operation of the depot is shut down at the moment. The CDU produces naphtha, diesel and Kerosene but cannot produce the component for the production of PMS.
“All these products cannot serve the masses as the production of these products are in small quantities even if the plant runs at 100% throughput. The processing plant of 150,000bpd capacity will commence operations in 2026; that is if money is made readily available to meet the timelines because at the moment the project has exceeded $2billion”, a top official of the agency told Sahara Reporters
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has ordered a fresh hearing in the legal battle over the disputed Kano Emirate involving Alhaji Nasir Ado Bayero.
The Appellate Court, in a judgment delivered on Friday, held that Bayero was denied fair hearing due to the shoddy manner in which a Kano High Court conducted proceedings against him.
Justice Mohammed Mustapha, who delivered the lead judgement, stated that the Kano High Court was unfair to Bayero by conducting proceedings without serving him a hearing notice to enable him to present his case.
Justice Mustapha held that all courts of law are bound to ensure justice for all parties by giving them equal opportunities, adding that the conduct of the proceedings against Bayero amounted to a travesty of justice.
Specifically, the Appellate Court held that Bayero ought to have been served with a hearing notice to allow him to present his grievances before judgment was delivered against him in what it described as a shoddy arrangement.
The Court of Appeal, therefore, ordered that the case be remitted to the Chief Judge of the Kano State High Court to be reassigned to another judge for expeditious determination.
Justice Mustapha did not award costs against the respondents in the appeal filed by Ahaji Ado Bayero.
Details later.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze N’digbo Worldwide has elected Dim Uche Nnamdi Okwukwu as its new factional President General.
The election, which took place at a convention in Port Harcourt on Thursday night, saw Okwukwu, a legal practitioner and former Secretary General of the group, chosen unopposed.
Okwukwu, from Elele in Rivers State, expressed his gratitude to the delegates and outlined his commitment to addressing the issues facing the Igbo people.
He stated that uniting the fractured Igbo community would be his priority.
His plans include engaging with the government and key stakeholders to seek the release of Nnamdi Kanu and other political prisoners, as well as pushing for economic and infrastructural development in Igbo areas.
Additionally, he intends to address security concerns, including kidnapping and other forms of violence, and work toward restructuring efforts that involve all ethnic groups.
More to come…
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The recent defection of lawmakers from the Labour Party to the All Progressives Congress (APC)he member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/ Umuahia South Federal Constituency of Abia State in the House of Representatives, Hon. Obi Aguocha has declared that as it stands Julius Abure is the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP
Obi, an ally to Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, stated this while speaking on the recent defection of lawmakers from the Labour Party to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to the lawmaker, there is no leadership crisis rocking the Labour Party that warrants the defection of the party’s lawmakers.
In an interview with the New Telegraph, Aguocha noted that there is no political party that doesn’t have crisis but the leadership has remained steadfast in finding solutions.
Speaking on the defection, he said: “We have a governor but some people are only fixated on the five decampees.
“They’re my colleagues, and I would not say ill of my colleagues because it was a personal decision they took.
“Some of them have explained their actions in the public domain, and part of what they said was that there is a perceived division in the Labour Party.
There’s no political party, especially the top three in Nigeria, that doesn’t have any issues. APC has their problems. PDP has their problems. The Labour Party, of course, has its problems.
“But the most important thing is that the leadership of Labour Party has remained steadfast in finding solutions to the problems that we have in the Labour Party.
“Yes, our matter has gone through the High Court and is on appeal. I would believe that by the time the court decides as to the direction of the party, then all of us will now know the direction to move.
“But by way of the determination of the court, Julius Abure by determination of the court, whether right or wrong, is the chairman of the party. So, there’s no division in the Labour Party.”
2027 election
Obi Aguocha pointed out that most of these lawmakers who defected come from states that do not have a Labour Party government, so, it’s also an issue of their self-survival.
“They probably maybe under pressure that the election for 2027 is going to be very difficult for them without a helping hand from the state government,” he said.
Royal matter: Appeal Court Orders Fresh Hearing into Kano Emirate Tussle
Just in: Ohanaeze Ndigbo Elects Factional President
BREAKING: Aguocha Obi Declares Julius Abure Labour Party National Chairman
Just in: Terrorists ambush military truck, kill all soldiers on board
Nigerian Dancer, Korra Obidi Attacked with acid, stabbed on stage In UK
Meet Rare Gem 16 Years Old Chiaza, CEO of ‘RUN MARKET PLACE’
-
Politics21 hours agoMASSIVE WASTE! Rivers LG chairman appoints 130 SAs
-
News20 hours agoBudget Defense: Reps Decry Poor Funding for Environment Ministry
-
News20 hours agoVIDEO; Nigeria’s foreign relations: So far, Tinubu has showcased good salesmanship-Dr Nwambu
-
Metro11 hours agoInsecurity: security operatives waste notorious bandit leader
-
News10 hours agoCourt freezes Nduka Obaigbena’s assets in commercial banks
-
News21 hours agoJust in: Sack newly appointed Super Eagles coach now, NANS tell NFF
-
News9 hours agoNigeria begins implementation of agreements with China – Minister
-
News9 hours agoAfenifere demands concrete action from S’West governors on banditry