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Tag: NNPC Limited

  • NNPC reacts as fire outbreak rocks crude storage barge in Rivers

    NNPC reacts as fire outbreak rocks crude storage barge in Rivers

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPC Ltd.) says the fire outbreak on the dry crude storage barge, BESTAF5 at Cawthorne Channel 1,  Rivers , had been successfully contained.

    Mr Olufemi Soneye, Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Ltd. in a statement on Thursday,  said there were no casualties and all personnel are safe.

    “At approximately 14:10 hours on Wednesday, Feb. 19, a fire broke out on the dry crude storage barge BESTAF5 at Cawthorne Channel 1,  Rivers, spreading to other barges.

    “Thanks to the swift response of our emergency teams and industry partners, the fire was successfully contained.

    “The incident did not impact flow station operations. Most importantly, there were no casualties, and all personnel are safe,” he stated.

    Soneye stated that  the NNPC  prioritised safety and remained fully committed to environmental protection and operational integrity.

  • NNPCL disobeys court order on cluster establishment, says Rivers community

    NNPCL disobeys court order on cluster establishment, says Rivers community

    The Bukuma community in Rivers has decried the alleged refusal of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporations Limited’s (NNPCL) to implement a 2021 court judgement on cluster issue.

    The Paramount Ruler of Bukuma, King Precious Elekima, made this known during an interview in Port Harcourt on Thursday. Bukuma, in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers is hosting an oil and gas field, housing 10 oil wells.

    The oil field was operated by Shell Petroleum and Development Company (SPDC) before Eroton Exploration and Protection Limited took it over but later handed it over to NNPCL.

    Elekima explained that the cluster arrangement began in 2007 as a resolution mechanism for communal clashes in the area.

    “The government and oil companies operating in the area established clusters to address disputes between the warring communities at the time. However, Bukuma, the hosting the oil and gas field, was grouped with 16 other communities in the cluster,” he told NAN in the interview.

    Elekima alleged that the 16 communities which, he described, as having no valid take in the cluster, bound together to deny Bukuma the benefits it deserved as the host community.

    “As a result, the Bukuma people decided to demand their own cluster from Eroton. Our community, hosting the oil wellhead and being the most impacted by oil extraction, deserved its own cluster, but Eroton refused,” he stated.

    The traditional ruler said that after their request was ignored, the community sought legal redress, and tho court ruled in their favour, mandating the establishment of a cluster for Bukuma.

    He said that Eroton did not implement the judgement before NNPCL took over and created NNPC Eighteen Operating Limited (NEOL) to oversee the operations of the wells.

    “The community met with NNPCL to implement the court order, but the company refused to comply and has remained adamant till this day,” Elekima said.

    He urged NNPCL not to be engaging with individuals in the community to give the false impression that it had reconciled with Bukuma.

    The paramount ruler urged the government to hold NNPC accountable for not allowing the host community to receive its deserved cluster.

    “We are being exploited, perhaps because the Bukuma people are a minority group with no influential figures in government or society.

    “This neglect has left the community grossly underdeveloped, even though it hosts a major oil field in the Niger Delta that generates significant revenue for the country,” he lamented.

    Elekima said that the recent explosion at the wellhead 008, which spilled crude oil into the community, has worsened living conditions in Bukuma.

    He reiterated the community’s support of the investigation into the fire incident and expressed confidence that it would identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

    “Bukuma people support the investigation because we are peaceful and law-abiding and do not engage in sabotage.

    “We do not dispute NNPCL’s claim that vandals destroyed its wellhead, and we fully support investigations into the fire incident. The community sympathises with NNPCL over the incident and assures that we will never encourage any form of illegal bunkering or vandalism of oil facilities,” he stated.

    He underscored the importance of the damaged wellhead, describing it as one of the largest oil wells contributing to Federal Government revenue for national development.

    “We have always stood with the Federal Government in its fight against oil theft, illegal bunkering, and vandalism. Therefore, we should not be held responsible for the destruction of the facility,” he added.

    The paramount ruler welcomed the involvement of Tantita Security Services, an independent security outfit, in the investigation, but he cautioned NNPCL to be vigilant during the process.

    “NNPC should be cautious in investigation, not to allow any individual to exploit the situation to advance personal interests related to chieftaincy, kingship, or land disputes.

    “The company should ensure that such individuals do not take advantage of the situation to frame innocent people,” he cautioned.

  • NNPC denies rejecting HND in ongoing recruitment exercise

    NNPC denies rejecting HND in ongoing recruitment exercise

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has denied rejecting graduates with Higher National Diploma (HND) in the ongoing graduate trainee recruitment exercise.

    It was gathered that some HND graduates who scaled the computer-based test (CBT) stage of the recruitment exercise were being sent away from participating in their scheduled interviews after travelling from different parts of the country to the FCT.

    The HND graduates who participated in the exercise reported that the NNPC was using security at its head office in Abuja to chase them away for not possessing a Master’s degree after passing the CBT.

    Recall that NNPC Limited in July 2024 opened its application portal for qualified candidates to apply for the graduate trainee programme.

    The NNPC said graduate trainees are expected to support the implementation of its organisational processes, deliver cost-effective business outcomes, support line managers and supervisors to develop and implement strategic work plans across diverse functions and support delivery of project team assignments.

    “Applicants must have any of the following minimum qualifications in the under listed disciplines: Bachelor’s Degree in the First Class/Second Class Upper Division.

    “HND (Distinction), Bachelor’s Degree in the Second Class Lower Division with a completed Masters Degree, HND Upper Credit with a completed Masters Degree.

    ”Have graduated from an accredited university/polytechnic/monotechnic not earlier than 2019,” the company stated in announcing the recruitment exercise.

    The oil firm also stated that candidates must have completed the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme, and not be “more than 28 years of age as of 31st December 2024”.

    Applicants were also required to possess “good communications, computer, and interpersonal skills”.

    According to the NNPC, disciplines required include sciences, engineering, business and management, social sciences, art and humanities, and law.

    Our reporter confirms that the ongoing graduate trainee recruitment exercise of NNPC Limited has entered the interview stage after the CBT stage.

    One of the HND graduates who was sent away told our reporter: “I applied for the graduate trainee programme and uploaded all required documents.

    “I was shortlisted and was invited for the CBT via email, which I wrote and passed and was subsequently invited for the interview at NNPC towers in Abuja.

    “I travelled from my state of residence to the FCT to attend the interview today but was chased away by NNPC securities that I do not have a Master’s degree.

    “I did not understand why I would be invited for the interview after passing the CBT when the NNPC knew I was not qualified. It is sad I have to travel down here to be chased away”.

    Our reporter spoke with several HND graduates who shared similar experiences.

    When contacted, NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye said at no time did the company send any HND graduate away.

    Soneye stressed that the NNPC made the requirements for the graduate trainee programme public and could not have sent any qualified candidate away.

    “It is false. We did not send any applicants away. The graduate trainee recruitment exercise is going on smoothly.

    “We sent out only candidates who did not meet the advertised criteria, specifically those with an HND Upper Credit without a Master’s degree.

    “Candidates with an HND Distinction have been attending interviews, and there is no discrimination in the selection process. The process remains transparent and fair,” he said.

  • Niger petrol fire: How to prevent tragedies from fallen tankers – NNPC

    Niger petrol fire: How to prevent tragedies from fallen tankers – NNPC

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has urged Nigerians to exercise extreme caution and avoid approaching fallen petrol tankers to prevent heartbreaking tragedies in the future.

    NNPC Limited said this in reaction over the tragic petrol tanker explosion that occurred at Dikko-Maje Junction along the Abuja-Kaduna Road in Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State on Saturday.

    In a statement by Olufemi Soneye, Chief Corporate Communications Officer, describing the incident as devastating, NNPC extended heartfelt condolences to the victims of the tragic petrol tanker explosion.

    “The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) extends its heartfelt condolences to the victims of the tragic petrol tanker explosion that occurred at Dikko-Maje Junction along the Abuja-Kaduna Road in Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State on Saturday.

    “This devastating incident claimed the lives of several individuals who were attempting to scoop fuel from a fallen tanker, while many others sustained varying degrees of injuries,” the statement reads.

    Meanwhile, during a condolence visit to the General Hospital in Sabon Wuse, Niger State, NNPC Ltd’s Executive Vice President, Downstream, Mr. Isiyaku Abdullahi, expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives.

    In his remarks, Mr. Abdullahi offered prayers for the peaceful repose of the departed souls and wished the injured a swift and full recovery. He also urged the public to exercise extreme caution and avoid approaching fallen petrol tankers to prevent such heartbreaking tragedies in the future.

    “NNPC Ltd. remains committed to the safety and well-being of all Nigerians and will continue to advocate for greater awareness of the dangers associated with fuel-related accidents,” the statement added.

    Lokpobiri offers condolences to Niger State over tanker explosion tragedy

    Similarly, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of Petroleum Resources (Oil), has extended condolences to the government and people of Niger State following the tragic explosion of a petrol-laden tanker at Dikko Junction, along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway.

    In a statement on Saturday, the minister described the incident, which resulted in the loss of lives and left several others injured, as a heartbreaking tragedy.

    Scores of residents were burned to death, with many others sustaining varying degrees of injuries from the tanker explosion in Dikko Junction, Suleja LGA.

    Lokpobiri expressed his deepest sympathies to the families of the victims, stating, “I am deeply saddened by this tragic event, and my thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families.

    “May the souls of the departed find eternal rest, and may God grant their families the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.”

    He also wished for a swift and complete recovery for those injured. The minister emphasised the need for enhanced safety measures to minimise such incidents and urged the public to exercise caution around petrol-laden tankers during emergencies.

    “The risks are enormous, and lives are too precious to be lost unnecessarily,” he said.

    Lokpobiri announced that he had directed the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to investigate the incident and reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring safe petroleum transportation across the country.

    He called for ongoing collaboration among relevant stakeholders to prevent similar tragedies, stressing the importance of collective responsibility in ensuring safety in petroleum distribution.

    “This tragedy reminds us of the importance of collective responsibility. We must all work together, government, transport operators, and citizens to ensure that safety remains paramount in all aspects of petroleum distribution,” he said.

    The minister assured the people of Niger State of his ministry’s support during this difficult time.

  • OBJ versus NNPCL: When will the ding-dong end? – By Taiwo Adisa

    OBJ versus NNPCL: When will the ding-dong end? – By Taiwo Adisa

    By Taiwo Adisa

    I expected former President Olusegun Obasanjo to fire back at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) immediately after it announced the revival of the old Port Harcourt refinery on November 26, 2024. In several interviews before that announcement, the former president had emphatically stated that the refineries cannot work anymore. He had backed up his declarations with his experience while in government, which made him decide to sell the carcasses to a team put together by businessman Aliko Dangote at the cost of $750 million. The former President said he had invited Shell to take over the refineries, and the excuses given by the multinational company convinced him that the refineries were as good as dead. His successor, late President Umaru Yar’Adua reversed the sale under pressure from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). He refunded the amount paid by the Dangote team. With that decision, Nigeria had to go through seasons of anomie at the petroleum supply front as the refineries completely packed up.

    Huge subsidies took over the scene, the NNPC and its cohorts took advantage, contractors fleeced the country of hard-earned money through endless Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) projects and the cycle of mystery expanded to a huge gulf. It was a journey that took nearly 20 years, following the total collapse of the four Nigerian refineries in Warri, Port Harcourt, and Kaduna around 2007. It was a journey that practically derailed the Nigerian economy and returned it to a debtor nation after the administration of President Obasanjo had in 2006 redressed that status by securing debt relief and paying off a chunk of the foreign debt. It was equally a journey that stressed Nigerians physically and emotionally, as the citizens went through the excruciating fuel supply crisis with deaths and untold disasters on the tow.

    While it would be difficult to put figures to the exact cost Nigeria and Nigerians sustained while the refineries went moribund, it would just be safe to stick by the figures provided by the House of Representatives which said in 2023 that Nigeria had spent $25 billion fixing the refineries in the past 10 years. There were also claims that the process that started in 2021 had gulped about $3 billion. Such funds are aside from the annual salaries, allowances, pensions, and gratuities paid to workers who were left redundant in those refineries and who probably had to earn promotions, and embark on local and foreign training and tours amidst other duties!

    At the time death snatched Yar’Adua from the stage, the nation was paying about N200 billion in subsidy. I recall that President Goodluck Jonathan, in 2012 originally budgeted the sum of N280 billion to cover subsidies but when it was obvious that the country would overshoot that figure, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, then a floor member in the senate, raised a motion to task the government on the plan to spend more than the budgeted funds. President Jonathan had earlier that year attempted to end the subsidy regime, which his administration claimed would free at least N1.5 trillion into the public purse. The projection was that infrastructure and social welfare would benefit tremendously, but the political opposition stalled that bid by arranging a series of street protests that engulfed many states.

    However, when President Muhammadu Buhari took over on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the same leaders who had branded subsidy payment a scam jumped the bill from what Jonathan projected at N1.5 trillion to about N11 trillion. The NNPC and Buhari not only paid subsidies, but they also embarked on future oil sales as the administration resorted to resource-denominated loans and all manners of shenanigans that mortgaged the crude that was still hundreds of metres below the sea, thus throwing the nation into a huge economic mess. Even when President Bola Tinubu claimed to have removed the subsidy on May 29, 2023, there were reports the nation still paid close to N5 trillion.

    So, when NNPCL announced it was breaking the ice of inefficiency by bringing back the 60,000 barrels per day capacity old Port Harcourt refinery, only its officials were excited. It had to arrange visits of different groups to convince Nigerians. In the last days of December 2024, it also announced the return to life of Warri Refinery. Despite that, the words of President Obasanjo that the refineries may never work again continued to haunt the company. I have also been part of tours of the refineries in Port Harcourt between 2012 and 2013, when the then General Managers gave assurances that everything was set to bring back the refineries in 2014. But no one heard anything positive again as power changed hands in 2015. We were only told the government had awarded another TAM in 2021.

    It was obvious that officials of the NNPCL have been upbeat since the return of the 60,000 Port Harcourt refinery in November 2024. It was like the hunter who had taken the head of a lion. One the Igbos will call Ogbuagwu. However, the skepticism has continued to grow because the effects are not seen on the streets. The back and forth around the revived Port Harcourt refinery did not also help the cause of the NNPCL. One day, it claimed to have started operations, the following day, the machines were undergoing recalibration, so the long file behind Obasanjo’s affirmation ‘Can anything good come from Nazareth’ was getting longer, and yours truly was one of them.

    The former president did not disappoint when he granted an interview last week and doubted the workability of the revived refineries. Obasanjo told his interviewer: “So if anybody tells you now that they (the refineries) are working, why are they not with Aliko (on the streets)? And Aliko will make his own refinery work. Not only make it work, he will make it deliver.

    “Whether we announce our own government refineries are working or not working, look, it is like they say in Yoruba adage, ‘the man who plants 100 heaps of yams and says he has planted 200 heaps, they say after he has harvested 100 heaps of yam, he will also harvest 100 heaps of lies.”

    The NNPCL has, however, challenged Obasanjo to join it on a tour of the refineries to see the reformation it has been able to effect. The company’s spokesman, Olufemi Soneye, said that the NNPC now has a business model that has made it a profitable organisation.

    He said: “We hold President Olusegun Obasanjo in the highest regard as a respected statesman who has made significant contributions to the growth and progress of Nigeria. His dedication to national development and his right to speak on matters of national importance are both deeply respected.

    “In response to his recent comments, we would like to respectfully highlight the remarkable transformation of the NNPC. Today, NNPC has evolved into NNPC Limited, a private entity that has transitioned from being a loss-making organisation to becoming a profit-oriented global energy leader.

    “Under this new model, NNPC Limited has expanded beyond oil and gas to become an integrated energy company. Our focus is not only on harnessing traditional resources but also on developing cleaner, cheaper, and sustainable energy solutions to meet Nigeria’s growing demands.”

    While we wait to see whether President Obasanjo would take up the challenge to embark on a tour of the refineries, the words of the elder statesman will not stop ringing in the ears-a farmer who plants 100 heaps of yam but claims to have planted 200 heaps, will, after harvesting the 100 heaps of yam, also harvest 100 heaps of lies!

    The NNPCL, according to Soneye, said it has returned to the path of profitability. But President Bola Tinubu just told the nation weeks ago that he has been meeting his obligations without recourse to the NNPCL and ‘Ways and Means’. So if the NNPCL’s profits are not contributing to the nation’s wealth, where is the evidence of that profitability? Are we not being returned to Obasanjo’s proverbial farmer, who will have to harvest his 100 heaps of lies? Or is NNPCL’s money toxic, or is it like the gifts by Esu Odara in Yoruba tradition, which gives to the adherents with the right hand and takes back in multiples with the left?

    Only a move away from the usually opaque operational system of the oil giant, NNPC, with or without the ‘L’ can solve that riddle.

  • NNPC invites Obasanjo to tour Warri, Kaduna refineries

    NNPC invites Obasanjo to tour Warri, Kaduna refineries

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) Limited has invited former President Olusegun Obasanjo to visit the rehabilitated refineries and witness firsthand the progress made so far.

    The Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Limited, Olufemi Soneye extended the invitation on Thursday while responding to Obasanjo’s comments on the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries.

    The former president had earlier expressed doubts about the operational status of the rehabilitated 60,000 bpd Port Harcourt refinery and Warri refinery.

    Obasanjo had said that the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) advised against the Port Harcourt Refinery’s viability due to corruption, and alleged that the NNPC Ltd. misled Nigerians by claiming that its refineries are operational.

    Reacting, Soneye said that a notable achievement of the NNPC Ltd. was the overhauling of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, while similar efforts were underway at the second Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries.

    He said the NNPC Ltd was committed to enhance and maintain the refineries to global standards for sustainable operations.

    The company said the rehabilitation done at the 60,000 bpd Port Harcourt Refinery and Warri Refinery was not the typical Turnaround Maintenance (TAM) of the past, but a comprehensive overhaul, designed to meet global standards.

    Soneye, however, invited the former President to visit the rehabilitated refineries and witness firsthand the progress made under the leadership of NNPC Limited.

    “We extend an invitation to our esteemed former president to join us in this historic journey. His wisdom and experience are invaluable, and we deeply appreciate his insights and guidance, which will always be welcomed and cherished.

    “We hold President Olusegun Obasanjo in the highest regard as a respected statesman who has made significant contributions to the growth and progress of Nigeria. His dedication to national development and his right to speak on matters of national importance are both deeply respected,” he said.

    Highlighting NNPC’s transformation, Soneye said that it had evolved into NNPC Limited, a private entity that transitioned from being a loss-making organisation to a profit-oriented global energy leader.

    Under this new model, he said the NNPC Limited had expanded beyond oil and gas to become an integrated energy company.

    “Our focus is not only on harnessing traditional resources but also on developing cleaner, cheaper, and sustainable energy solutions to meet Nigeria’s growing demands.

    “This progress has been driven by the visionary leadership of the NNPC Limited board and the management team led by GCEO Mele Kyari, alongside President Bola Tinubu’s transformative policies in the energy sector,” he said.

  • NNPC reveals market Warri refinery will serve

    NNPC reveals market Warri refinery will serve

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has disclosed that the Warri Refining and Petrochemicals Company (WRPC) has started releasing products into the market.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of NNPC Limited, Malam Mele Kyari made the disclosure on Monday while conducting a team of stakeholders, including newsmen, round the complex of the Warri refinery, being operated by Daewoo.

    “This plant is running. We have not completed it 100 per cent. We are streaming the other part of the plant as we progress. But currently, this plant is running and we are bringing products into the market.

    “There are many people who do not think this is real. As you all know, there are a lot of talks all over the place that people do not believe real things can happen in our country.

    “We believe that this is right for our country and all of us have a stake, including media people, on this so that this country becomes a greater place and it is already happening. Everything you see is real,” Kyari said.

    The NNPC Limited GCEO hinted that the Warri refinery is currently only able to produce Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) for diesel-powered engines, Kerosene, Naphtha and also a blend of fuel oil.

    He disclosed that the part of the plant that will produce Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, is being streamed and would come live soon.

    “This plant has three (3) stages. We have started with plan one, which we call area one – the first plan. It is able to produce AGO, Kerosene, Naphtha and also a blend of fuel oil.

    “And these are high grade quality products that are required in the country and we may also have a need to export them. Some of these product will go to the international market.

    “More importantly, I must put on record that Mr President’s onerous believe that we can get this plant to start and giving us the charge that we must start all three (3) refineries, is already happening.

    “We have successfully started the 60,000 barrels per day (bpd) Port Harcourt refinery. We have started the area one in Warri refinery. The other part of the plant that will produce PMS is being streamed and would come live.

    “Lastly, Kaduna Refinery is also on stream. We are not going to give you a date, but we will surprise you as well. As we said the other time, Kaduna will start,” Kyari said.

  • What critics fail to understand about Port Harcourt refinery – Ex-NNPC GMD

    What critics fail to understand about Port Harcourt refinery – Ex-NNPC GMD

    Former Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Dr Jackson Gaius-Obaseki has clarified that the work done on the Port Harcourt refinery was not a routine Turnaround Maintenance (TAM).

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Dr Gaius-Obaseki to have said the work done on the Port Harcourt refinery was a full rehabilitation that modernised a plant originally built in 1965 into a state-of-the-art facility by 2024.

    Gaius-Obaseki said this on Wednesday after former GMDs of NNPC Limited visited the refinery for inspection. The inspection was conducted during the former NNPC Group Chief Executive Officers (GCEOs) Forum in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    The ex-GMDs commended the efforts of the current NNPC Ltd. management team in overhauling the Port Harcourt Refinery and described the achievement of Mr Mele Kyari’s led management as “magic”.

    Speaking on behalf of the group, Gaius-Obaseki, who served as GMD from 1999 to 2003, described the scepticism and criticism surrounding the revamp of the Port Harcourt Refinery as misguided.

    Gaius-Obaseki explained that many critics failed to understand the magnitude of work involved.

    “Some of those who criticise do not understand the extent of the work carried out; they mistake it for the usual Turnaround Maintenance.

    “This is a complete rehabilitation–transforming a plant built in 1965 into a modern one in 2024; we appreciate the effort,” he said.

    On petroleum pricing, he emphasised that petrol pump prices were influenced by crude oil prices and called for public understanding.

    He hailed the achievement as a testament to courage and dedication, urging the NNPC Ltd. Group Chief Executive Officer, Kyari, to remain focused on delivering value to Nigerians.

    The forum also had in attendance, other former GMDs including Chamberlain Oyibo, Funsho Kupolokun, Andrew Yakubu, among others.

    They collectively lauded the success of the project and efforts by the NNPC Ltd. to boost energy sustenance.

    Recall that the 60,000 barrels per day (bpd) capacity refinery began its truck-out of petroleum products on Nov. 26 in view of the re-streaming of the rehabilitated facility.

    This signaled the commencement of crude oil processing from the plant and petroleum products delivery to market.

    However, the resumption of the refinery was followed by a lot of criticism from some critics who alleged that the rehabilitated refinery was a scam.

    One of the strongest voices was the criticism from Timothy Mgbere, a leader of the Alesa community in Rivers, who appeared on national television accusing the NNPC that the refinery was not working.

    Amid controversy, some renowned Nigerians, marketers and society of engineers, among others confirmed that the refinery is operational.

  • NNPC: When you think Nigeria can’t confuse you – By Ikeddy Isiguzo

    NNPC: When you think Nigeria can’t confuse you – By Ikeddy Isiguzo

    By Ikeddy ISIGUZO

    PUT nothing beyond Nigerians. Some of us lug the bragging rights to understanding Nigeria, that Nigeria cannot confuse them. I willingly concede knowledge of Nigeria to them.

    Nigerians are not strangers to confusion. We bring confusion to conversations. We praise our abilities to confound issues, confront simplicity with befuddlements and then seek the understanding of those who question a policy direction.

    Any attempt to deny the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, the unalienable rights to confusion should be boldly resisted on NNPCL’s behalf.

    Many Nigerians concur to nothing just not to be left out in the journey to nowhere. We learnt long ago that patriotism means supporting the government in power. You do not need to task the government about its actions.

    So, let us agree with NNPCL that the old refinery in Port Harcourt is working. Those who claim otherwise do not know a thing about how these things work. They could be among those who have sworn not to see anything good in the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    They are unIike us whose loyalty is completely blind; so blind that we give no chance to enhancing our sights. It is not our fault that some have decided not to love their country.

    An instance of the benefits of blind loyalty, in alignment with the President’s delight over Port Harcourt refinery, is the nimiety of fuel in our filling stations. It takes loyalty of this hue to notice that fuel is available. Instead of rejoicing that there is no fuel scarcity, people who used to buy fuel at “any price” are asking at what price the fuel from Port Harcourt refinery is sold. They pretend they could identify the source of the fuel they use.

    Only the President is permitted to recount the dangers Nigeria harbours when addressing prospective foreign investors. Ours is to find areas of the country to praise. We cannot contradict the President when he de-markets Nigeria. He is the President.

    We should understand that in electing a government, the people simply lease the country to the elected, who are at liberty to do whatever they want with Nigeria. The President can turn an official visit to a private visit. It is his call, not calling.

    Unlike most leases, the terms of our relationship with government are unclear. The privileges of governments are under-stated. Too generous as we think the lease granted the government is, we have had serial cases of government appropriating aspects of the lease that it was given.

    NNPCL understands these things more than others. There should be no surprises there. The Minister of Petroleum Resources is the President. NNPCL might as well have immunity without us knowing. It could be a beneficiary of the powers of the Minister of Petroleum Resources.

    History has taught us that successive governments harvest precedents to feather their own interests. We rate governments by their abilities to treat us worse than the preceding ones. We are often wondering why we are always wrong, and the government always right in its ways.

    NNPCL, a government company, attends to us with all the arrogance it can muster in a relationship where a supposed servant looks askance at the master, the public.

    Tired of our too many questions, NNPCL is forging ahead. If we expect the numbers of tankers rolling in and out of the Port Harcourt refinery premises, old and not so old, to be the only signs of activity at the facility, NNPCL has exported products to Dubai through Wonder Star MR1.

    Could the NNPCL counter-poise be the answer to “when will the price of NNPCL’s products be reduced” since they are not imported? NNPCL is too busy attending to foreign clients that you should firm up your interests by paying in foreign currency.

    Have we forgotten that Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, in July 2024 said Nigeria would be a net exporter of petroleum products by December 2024? Has the President, Minister of Petroleum Resources, not fulfiled another promise?

    Let the naysayers know that the President is winning. Let those who want fuel ask not the price.

    Fuel is available. Availability is more important than price until availability becomes a confusion.

    Finally…

    ENYIMBA Economic City FZE will unwrap the project to businesses, especially, SMEs, at the South East Business and Investment Summit, SEBIS, that runs from 11-13 December 2024. It will be another big beginning in the re-making of the South East.

    DELE Farotimi’s arrest, is proof, if one is needed, that we are in the era of “legitimate lawlessness”. The police, a law enforcement agency, will skip the law on a 320-journey to make an arrest in Lagos from Ado-Ekiti, without a warrant authorising the arrest, hence some initially called it an abduction. If Farotimi broke the law, a lawless response, as we have seen so far, equates to self help which is a breach of the law. “He will have his day in court” is an inadequate response for the abuses of the law.

    UNDER what law is the Federal Government sacking its employees who are graduates of some universities in Republic of Benin? Was there a government order or law banning those universities by 2017? It is a wonder that the government, though nothing is beyond government, could make a decision in 2024, and it takes effect from seven years ago. Is it not an admission of its incapacities that government cannot detect fake credentials? If the suspects are guilty as charged, should they not be facing the law and refunding salaries that they have earned illegally? Just think about this: some of those making these decisions could be parading fake credentials even at the very top. For the records, a journalist’s investigative report led the government to make this retroactive order – one more thing to blame on these journalists.

    EACH time I read of another banditry kingpin being eliminated, I get the impression that there are too many of these kingpins that we really need another title for important officials in the hierarchy of Nigeria’s bandits. They have made their mark. Those who eliminate them, too, deserve recognition of their feats.

    THE fight against corruption is doomed once its expansive scopes provide for legal abhorence of transparency. How can the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, be in celebration over a latest forfeiture case that involved an estate of 753 units of duplexes and other apartments and the public is not entitled to know the owner of the property?

    We are left to speculate as we are still doing seven years after Justice Muslim Hassan granted final forfeiture orders for the following: “The sum of $43,449,947 found by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission at Flat 7B of No. 16 Osborne Road, Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, which sum is reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities to the Federal Government of Nigeria”. A made a similar order for £27,800 and N23,218,000, found in the same apartment. Did we know who had the money or what government finally did with it?

     

    ISIGUZO is a major commentator on minor issues

  • Port Harcourt refinery resumes full operations, begins distribution of petrol, others

    Port Harcourt refinery resumes full operations, begins distribution of petrol, others

    The Port Harcourt refinery has resumed full operations after a brief ”scaling down”, Mr Ibrahim Onoja, the company’s Managing Director has said.

    Addressing newsmen after a facility tour of the refinery on Sunday night, Onoja said the facility had resued distribution of products, including Premium Motor Spirit, kerosene, and diesel.

    ”The refining plant has undergone extensive upgrades to enhance efficiency and reliability which had also impacted on production capacity.

    ”We replaced most of the equipment including pumps installation and cables. The plant is running and we are trucking out our products,” he said.

    Also speaking, Mr Moyi Maidunama, the Director of Operations of the Nigeria Pipeline Storage Company (NPSC) Ltd acknowledged that there was a temporary reduction in production.

    He, however, explained that the reduction was to help address some technical issues aimed at improving the delivery capacity of the facility.

    ”We are managing the process with the number of trucks available today, using three loading arms for evacuation, this would be resolved soon.

    ”Our operations were not totally halted but reduced due to some of the improvements that we needed to make in terms of getting more loading arms operational.

    ”We have been evacuating refined petroleum products from the refinery since yesterday and its obviously going to be a continuous process,” he said.

    Mr Worlu Joel, the terminal manager, also confirmed the efficiency of the refinery, adding that it had began loading of Premium Motor Spirit, kerosene and diesel.

    According to him, the deport which has eleven functional loading bays currently uses only three due to its high efficiency.

    He said that each of the bay evacuates as much as three trucks in 15 minutes. He however, expressed worries over slow turn out of tanker drivers

    ”We have suplus product. Let us sayd we have up to 100 trucks today, we will evacuate them in a five hours, Its no longer our problem, its the tanker drivers,”he said.

    On November 26, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd)  said the Port Harcourt refinery had began production after a long period of rehabilitation. It said the refinery began truck loading of petroleum products.

    The Port Harcourt Refineries comprise two units, with the old plant having a refining capacity of 60,000 barrels per day (bpd) and the new plant 150,000 bpd, both summing up to 210,000 bpd.

    The refinery has not operated maximally for over two decades. It was shut down in March 2019 for the first phase of repair works after the government secured the service of Italy’s Maire Tecnimont to handle the review of the refinery complex, with oil major Eni appointed technical adviser.

    In 2021, NNPC Ltd said repairs had started at the refinery after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved 1.5 billion dollars for the project.

    On Dec. 21, 2023, the Nigerian government announced the mechanical completion and the flare start-off of the refinery.