Stick to 30-day timeline or risk fuel crisis, PETROAN tells NNPCL
INC, PANDEF seek probe of NNPCL ex-boss, Mele Kyari

As the Port Harcourt Refinery prepares to shut down Area 5 plant for routine Turnaround Maintenance (TAM), the management has warned its staff not to interact with external people, including the press.

Following the planned shutdown, the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has urged the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to strictly adhere to the 30-day repair timeline or be ready for crisis.

Meanwhile, the facility is still operational despite the shutdown announcement.

Piqued by the planned TAM, which reportedly followed alleged embezzlement of $1.5 billion budgeted by the former Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, for TAM, the Ijaw National Congress (INC) and the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) called for the probe of the for GCEO.

They described shutting down the refinery for another TAM in less than six months of take-off as ridiculous, especially given the huge sum expended in the last maintenance.

A document obtained by The Guardian from an inner source, yesterday, signed by the HCM Lead of Port Harcourt Refinery Project, Leo Njoku, noted that there would still be a lot of activities within and around the refinery premises despite the shutdown.

According to the statement, all staff are expected to mind their businesses; no interaction with external people or giving information to the press.

It added: “As government workers, it is against the Labour Law to engage pressmen in interviews. It attracts its sanctions. HCM will be monitoring staff activities during this period. There will be severe disciplinary consequences for defaulters. Please be guided and mind your business and face your task.”

RAISING concerns over the potential impact of delays, PETROAN said the rehabilitation, though necessary, must not exceed the scheduled duration “if the nation is to avoid worsening supply disruptions and economic hardship.

Speaking on behalf of the association, PETROAN National President, Billy Gillis-Harry, said while the shutdown for maintenance was expected, the association fears that Nigeria’s long-standing infrastructural bottlenecks might derail the process.

“We understand the refinery requires repairs, but we are urging NNPCL to ensure that the 30-day window is not just another announcement with no real follow-through. Delays could translate into greater suffering for Nigerians,” he said.

Among PETROAN’s key demands is the inclusion of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) blending unit in the ongoing maintenance. According to the association, without it, the entire crude cracking process may offer little value in boosting petrol supply.

To ensure transparency and public confidence, PETROAN is also asking for weekly updates on the repair progress and that payments to contractors be handled promptly to avoid delays.

“The inclusion of all relevant stakeholders in a monitoring task force and timely communication with Nigerians will ensure accountability,” said PETROAN’s National Public Relations Officer (PRO), Dr Joseph Obele.

THE Guardian checks showed that the facility is still in operation, as flare was still noticed since Saturday, when the announcement was made yesterday.

Despite the fanfare that greeted the takeoff of the refinery in November 2024, after several postponements, activities has remained low inside and within the refinery, though petroleum marketers confirmed offtake of kerosene and diesel, but decried inability of trucking out products from the facility.

National Publicity Secretary of INC, Ezonebi Oyakemeagbegha, and former National Publicity Secretary of PANDEF, Dr Ken Robinson, called for the probe of Kyari.

The INC spokesman said: “There is an urgent need to investigate the system. We call for a thorough probe into Kyari’s stewardship, and he should account for the billions claimed for the last TAM. This will help prevent further embezzlement of public funds and impoverishment of the masses.”

On his part, Robinson expressed sadness that “Nigerians are the enemies of Nigeria” as they use any little opportunity in public office to enrich themselves unnecessarily and deplete the resources of the nation.

He insisted that such should not be allowed anymore, adding that people should be held responsible for their actions.