28 February 2012, Sweetcrude, LAGOS – Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, says the government was planning a special stakeholders’retreat on refineries to provide an opportunity to reach a workable framework in line with the government’s vision for the downstream sector.
The retreat will hold in the next two weeks and would help galvanise and harmonise the various components needed to ensure the smooth operation of the refineries.
A statement by the Group General Manager, Public Affairs Division at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Levi Ajuonuma, said the minister made this known at the end of a working visit to the Port Harcourt Refining Company(PHRC) and the adjoining Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, PPMC Depot and product evacuation Jetty in Okrika.
“No doubt we have a lot of work to do but going forward within the next two weeks, we shall be having a retreat, which would incorporate the perspective of all the various stakeholders including heads of operations of all the refineries, NPDC, PPMC and, of course, all other stakeholders to fashion out a holistic approach within the period,” the minister said.
At the PPMC Product evacuation Jetty, which is undergoing complete reconstruction by an indigenous Nigerian company, Lee Engineering,Mrs.Alison-Madueke commended the company for living out the ideals and spirit behind the Federal Government’s Nigerian Content legislation in the oil and gas industry.
The Minister, who also took time out to visit some fuel stations in the Port Harcourt metropolis, assured that the Petroleum Ministry is working in concert with the NNPC and all other downstream stakeholders to eradicate the current relative scarcity in the supply of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) in some parts of the country.
Checks at the NNPC Retail indicate that seven of the Floating Mega stations are in full operation while plans have reached advanced stage to re-open the four other stations currently undergoing repairs by April this year.
The four stations are located in Burutu and Okerenkoko in Delta State while two others are in Arogbo and Buguma in Ondo and Rivers states.
