JUST-IN: Ahead Of December Completion Date, Petroleum Minister, Kyari, Others Assess Rehabilitation Work At PH Refinery

The Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, and the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari have arrived in Rivers State to begin discussions on the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery.

Lokpobori and Kyari alongside other members of the Refineries’ Rehabilitation Steering Committee are in Port Harcourt to discuss ongoing repairs of the country’s refineries.

The development is linked to the directive given by President Bola Tinubu for the authorities to fix the refineries.

Tinubu had promised the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress that the refineries will be functional before December in order to cushion the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy.

The NNPC said in a tweet on Friday that Lokobiri, Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Oil) and Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo and Kyari will also inspect the extent of work at the PH Refinery.

The NNPC said, “The Ministers of State in the Petroleum Ministry, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Oil) and Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Gas), have just arrived in Port Harcourt for the Refineries’ Rehabilitation Steering Committee meeting, accompanied by the GCEO of NNPC Ltd.

“The Ministers will also take a facility tour of the PHRC plants to assess the level of progress on the ongoing rehabilitation work at the Refinery. They will also engage with the refinery’s Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Contractors.”

President Tinubu had promised to deliver the PH Refinery by December before focusing on other moribund refineries in Warri and Kaduna.

The promise was among the reasons why the labour called off the national protest which was held in early August 2023.

Then, presidential spokesman and now Minister of Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake had said, “President Tinubu gave his commitment to the Labour leaders that the Port Harcourt refineries will start production by December 2023 after the completion of the ongoing rehabilitation contract between NNPCL and Italian firm, Maire Tecnimont SpA.

“President Tinubu assured the Labour leaders that he would continue to work for the best interest of Nigeria while pleading with the Labour leaders to join hands with him to birth a better and economically buoyant country.”