Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Stakeholders in the petroleum midstream and downstream sectors have expressed outrage and disappointment after the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, Engr. Bayo Ojulari, visited Rivers State without stopping over at the Port Harcourt Refinery.
Ojulari, during his recent trip to Rivers State, paid a visit to the Nigeria LNG facility in Bonny Island but failed to extend the same attention to the Port Harcourt Refinery, a development stakeholders described as a “slap in the face” to workers and management of the facility.
The Hostcom Bulk Retailers Association of Port Harcourt Refinery said the action of the NNPCL boss raises serious concerns about the company’s commitment to revamping the country’s refineries.
BOT Chairman of the association, Mr. Sunny Nkpe, stressed that while the NLNG facility in Bonny is an important national asset, the Port Harcourt Refinery remains central to Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity and deserved equal recognition.
He said, “Engr. Bayo Ojulari’s visit to Rivers State without visiting the Port Harcourt Refinery is not only a slap in the face to the workers and management of the refinery but also a clear indication of the lack of appreciation for the contributions of the refinery to the nation’s economy.
“A visit to the Port Harcourt Refinery would have been a significant morale booster and motivation to the rehabilitation team and contractors working tirelessly to restore the refinery to its optimal capacity,” Nkpe said.
According to the association, Ojulari’s decision not to visit the plant suggests a worrying lack of interest in its rehabilitation and future operations.
“The refusal to visit the Port Harcourt Refinery indicates a lack of interest in the functionality of the plant, which is alarming. It raises questions about the management’s priorities and commitment to revamping the refinery,” the group said.
The Hoscom Bulk Retailers Association called on the NNPCL chief to immediately reconsider his itinerary and make a courtesy visit to the refinery, noting that such a move would signal genuine commitment to the plant’s revival.
“We urge Engr. Bayo Ojulari to revisit his itinerary and pay a courtesy visit to the Port Harcourt Refinery to familiarize himself with the operations and challenges of the facility,” he concluded.
The association further emphasized that the refinery, currently undergoing rehabilitation, has been a critical contributor to Nigeria’s oil and gas sector and deserves the full support of the NNPCL leadership.
