&w=64&q=75)
The Network of Oil Producing Communities in Nigeria (NOPCN) has criticised the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) for allegedly disparaging a leader of the Port Harcourt refinery's host community.
The group also called on President Bola Tinubu to sack NNPCL's Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Mallam Mele Kyari, accusing him of misleading the public about the refinery's operations.
The group, in a statement signed by NOPCN President Engr. Igeniwari Edward and Comrade Omototsho Ogbe backed recent comments by Timothy Mgbere, Secretary of the Alesa Community Stakeholders Forum.
Mgbere alleged that the products recently loaded from the Port Harcourt refinery were old, unused stocks stored since 2016, not freshly refined petroleum.
"Before the refinery's 2016 shutdown, large quantities of petrol, kerosene, and diesel were stored as dead stock," the statement explained.
"These were evacuated during the so-called rehabilitation, creating the illusion of fresh production."
The group condemned NNPCL’s alleged misrepresentation, stating: “Kyari should be sober now. The much-celebrated 60,000-barrel segment of the refinery shut down within days of its supposed rehabilitation. The lies cannot continue.”
NOPCN urged President Tinubu to investigate the reported misuse of over ₦17 trillion allocated for refurbishing Nigeria’s refineries.
The group also rejected plans to convert the refinery into a blending plant, citing environmental risks to host communities.
The controversy follows Mgbere’s revelation on national television that only six trucks of products were loaded last Tuesday, contrary to the claim that 200 trucks would be dispatched daily. Mgbere also alleged that most trucks carried old, off-spec products.
NNPCL respond to allegations
In response, NNPCL refuted the allegations, dismissing Mgbere as misinformed. "The public should disregard the false claims of this self-acclaimed community leader," NNPCL stated in a Friday release.
However, a report by Sahara Reporters corroborated NOPCN's claims, revealing that operations at the Port Harcourt refinery have been largely shut down, with only the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) running.
The CDU, which produces limited quantities of naphtha, kerosene, and diesel, cannot produce petrol.
With questions mounting over the refinery’s rehabilitation and its future, all eyes are on President Tinubu’s next move.