Barely one week to the deadline of Port Harcourt Refinery take-off, the immediate past Chairman of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), in Rivers State, Dr. Joseph Obele, said that the first phase of rehabilitation work at the refinery has been completed and undergoing a test run.

Besides, inquiries by The Guardian showed that residents of Rivers State are not excited about the Federal Government’s announcement of the 50 per cent reduction in transportation costs along 22 interstate routes during the Christmas season.

The residents say the reduction of the transport fares would not have an impact on the economic tough times they have been subjected to due to the high cost of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as fuel.

While decrying the hike in prices of goods and services, especially food stuffs, residents insisted that the only way to reduce their intense sufferings is to ensure the refineries start working, calling on the Federal Government to ensure its deadlines for the refineries take-off are adhered to.

The initial deadline of the $1.5billion rehabilitation
project, which commenced in May 2021, was postponed from 2022 to January 1, 2024.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, after an inspection at the refinery facilities to ascertain the level of work done in August 2023, assured that the Port Harcourt Refinery will surely come on stream by December.

The minister also noted that the Warri Refinery will start functioning by the first quarter of 2024, while the Kaduna and Dangote refineries will come on stream towards the end of next year.

This, according to the minister, will help to stop fuel importation in the country and enable Nigerians to enjoy the full benefits of deregulation.

But with barely a few days to the deadline, and the Federal Government’s silence on the current status of the facility, some residents have expressed doubt if the deadline will be met.

A resident, Mike Ndukwe, said: “We are not interested in any reduction of transportation costs; it doesn’t excite the masses.

We are going through difficulties and severe economic issues. All we need is for the government to get the refineries working by the end of December. We are looking forward to that, and we hope it will go a long way to reduce the high costs of items in the market.”