The House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Midstream) will on Thursday meet to deliberate on the state of the nation’s four refineries.
The four state-owned refineries located in Port Harcourt (two), Kaduna and Warri have been the subject of controversy in recent times, owing to claims and counterclaims of their production capacity.
While Nigerians were excited over the news by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) executive led by the former Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari that the Port Harcourt refineries had resumed the refining of crude products a few months ago; President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote recently deflated that optimism, when he said that the refineries may never work again.
This prompted the Chairman of the Committee, Henry Okojie, to declare the readiness of his team to launch an investigation into the state of the refineries, particularly against the backdrop of a statement credited to the current GCEO, Bayo Ojulari, that all four refineries may be sold.
Ojulari had expressed worry over the gap in technological evolution, coming short of saying that the four refineries do not have what it takes to compete in today’s complex petroleum refining business.
In an interview with newsmen, Okojie said a meeting of the Committee would enable members to bare their minds on the way forward, with national interest the overriding priority.
He said, “Like I stated recently, this Committee was set up by the leadership of the House of Representatives, symbolized by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, GCON, to serve the interest of the Nigerian people. We are out to make sure that whatever decision we take serves the interest of our people, on whose behest we are at the National Assembly today.
“The Committee will meet this week, hopefully by Thursday, to consider all issues before us concerning the state of the refineries.
“There are reports that over $18 billion has been spent on turnaround maintenance of the refineries. If this is the case, why are they not working? If selling them is a better option, we will know. But until we investigate the situation on the ground, we cannot make a decision.”
While calling on Nigerians to be patient, Okojie, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), warned against politicizing the issues, stating that the Federal Government has not taken a decision to dispose of the assets.
In an apparent reference to a statement issued by the African Democratic Congress warning against the sale, Okojie noted that Ojulari’s remark that outright sale of the refineries could not be ruled out was not the position of the Federal Government.
“It is not time for election yet, and I don’t think it is helpful to politicise this matter. The President Bola Tinubu-led government has not said it is selling off the refineries. The NNPCL’s GCEO merely said sale might be an option.
“Our Committee has work to do and we will do it in the best interest of our beloved country,” he added.
He also noted that the administration of President Bola Tinubu will ensure that the good of Nigerians supersedes any other consideration.
According to him, “Mr President has taken significant steps for the betterment of Nigerians since his inauguration in 2023. We saw what he did with the tax reform initiatives. In the same vein, the Commander-in-Chief will take a broader look at the state of the refineries and make the right call.
“As a Committee, we will assist Mr President in this regard because for us in the parliament, we have our role to play in the realisation of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the APC-led government.”
The Punch
