Headlines

NNPC GMD Kyari Says Rehabilitation of Nigeria’s Refineries Underway

Published

3 years ago

May 11, 2022

By Derrick Bangura

Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mr. Mele Kyari, on Tuesday told the House of Representatives Adhoc Committee investigating the state of refineries in Nigeria that 25 years of bad management was responsible for the poor state of the country’s refineries.

Speaker of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, had on January 26, constituted the adhoc committee to work with NNPC, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, and other relevant stakeholders to obtain the needed information for the assignment. The committee, in two separate letters, dated February 24 and March 17, 2022, requested the NNPC boss to present a status report on the state of the country’s refineries.
Addressing the lawmakers, the NNPC GMD apologised for being absent in the committee’s previous sittings, but assured that total rehabilitation of the refineries was underway.

Kyari said NNPC followed due process and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) granted approval for the overhaul of the Port Harcourt Refinery. He said a contract of $1.55 billion was awarded for the job.

With the approval, Kyari said work was presently ongoing at the Port Harcourt refinery and would also commence soon at the Kaduna and Warri refineries.

Kyari explained, “We recognise that today none of our refineries is operating for the very obvious reason that through the work of this committee, you will find out why they are not operating.

“We will hide nothing from you. We will also tell you where we are as we speak today. Needless to say that the refineries were essentially not properly managed overtime, not just today, but in the last 20 to 25 years.

“The turnaround maintenance processes were clearly mismanaged overtime. I have said this over and over. And when we took over, it was very obvious that what you are dealing with was not a turnaround maintenance. We were dealing with total rehabilitation.

“The panels were clearly in situations where ordinary maintenance will not solve the problem. We have degradation of monumental proportion that we met and, of course, the only way you can do this is to conduct a full turnaround maintenance.”

Speaking further, Kyari said, “We have a very different concept of the rehabilitation process we have started. It will be financed by banks. That is the difference between what you had in the past, where you do halfway work and never complete what you were trying to do and banks always will put conditions for lending not just about payment but ability to pay from your cash flow.

“And part of the requirements is also to include O and M component, which means that maintenance contracts will be part of this deal, otherwise they will not lend us money. It means we have to have continuous sustained operations of the refineries to establish O and M contractor.

“This is what obtains anywhere in the world and that process is also going on and we will hand over these refineries at the end of the exercise with the optimisation of our existing staff, but also a third party to run it for us. We believe that at the end of this exercise, the refineries will come to their full capacity, at the very least 90 per cent of their installed capacity.

“Of course, no refinery runs at 100 percent. That is not technically practical, but we will do minimum of 90 percent of their installed capacity.”

The GMD further assured Nigerians that there was sufficient petrol to meet their demand. He said there was a total of 2.8 billion litres of petrol available and that was sufficient to meet country’s demand in the next 48 days without importation.

Kyari blamed the current fuel scarcity in some parts of the country on hitches that occurred as a result the public holidays of Workers Day and Eid el Fitre. He explained that when such glitches occurred, there was usually a lot of panic buying which he said was causing the long queues at the petrol stations.

The NNPC boss said his team had tried to ensure people did not stay too long at the filling stations.

Kyari also said the relevant authorities were taking steps to ensure that “black marketers” did not take advantage of the situation, adding that once supply is maximised, the black marketers would disappear.

Earlier in his remarks, the chairman of the committee, Hon. Ganiyu Johnson, said the committee had a mandate to determine the amount so far spent on turnaround maintenance of the refineries.

The lawmakers resolved that NNPC should provide the survey report, commercial evaluation report, proof of waivers granted by FEC, procurement documents and other relevant documents.

Ganiyu adjourned the hearing to June 3 and mandated that the GMD should appear with all the relevant documents.

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Headlines

Akwa Ibom APC Gears Up to Receive President Tinubu as Governor Umo Eno Joins Party

Published

2 weeks ago

June 20, 2025

Matthew Eloyi

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State has announced its readiness to host President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other top party leaders as it officially welcomes Governor Umo Eno into its ranks.

Speaking at a press briefing in Uyo on Friday, APC chieftain and former presidential aide, Senator Ita Enang, disclosed that the party was fully prepared to receive the president, Vice President Kashim Shettima, APC National Chairman, and governors elected on the party’s platform for the historic reception.

Governor Umo Eno had on June 6 formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC, in a move widely described as a political game-changer in Akwa Ibom.

Enang, a former Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly and Niger Delta Affairs, said the governor’s defection had effectively aligned the state with the central government.

He assured Governor Eno and his supporters that the APC would embrace them wholeheartedly and honour all agreements reached.

“As progressives, we shall work with the governor and his supporters to ensure that they fit into the party without hitches,” Enang stated. “We will also work with them to align programmes of the state government with the ideals and manifesto of the party.”

He further described the governor’s move as a “merger” that promises significant benefits for Akwa Ibom and its citizens.

The planned reception is expected to mark a major political event in the state, signaling a realignment of forces ahead of future elections.

Headlines

Ekiti Launches Aggressive Anti-Flood Campaign, Dredges Ofigba River

Published

2 weeks ago

June 20, 2025

Matthew Eloyi

The Ekiti State Government has intensified efforts to prevent flooding across the state with the launch of a comprehensive dredging campaign, targeting critical waterways in both rural and urban areas.

Chairman of the Ekiti State Environmental Protection Agency (EKSEPA), Chief Bamitale Oguntoyinbo, disclosed this on Friday during an inspection visit to the ongoing dredging project at the Ofigba River in Ise-Ekiti.

Oguntoyinbo, who was accompanied by EKSEPA board members, said the visit was to assess the progress of work being carried out to mitigate flood risks in the community. He expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of the dredging work.

“I and other board members of EKSEPA are delighted with the level of job done by the site engineer because he is actually working with the directives of three-kilometer dredging of waterways,” he said.

According to him, the dredging commenced on June 4, and so far, 1.8 kilometers of the river have been successfully cleared.

He applauded Governor Biodun Oyebanji for prioritizing the safety and welfare of residents by initiating the state-wide anti-flooding campaign.

“I want to commend our amiable governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, for embarking on zero tolerance campaign against flooding in every community and town in Ekiti,” Oguntoyinbo stated.

He also praised the General Manager of EKSEPA, Mr. Olukayode Adunmo, for his commitment to the project’s supervision and success.

In his remarks, Adunmo emphasized the urgent need to clear waterways choked by refuse, which impede water flow and contribute to flooding during the rainy season.

“Dredging of Ofigba River in Ise-Ekiti in Ise/Orun Local Government Area is necessary because some of the waterways have been blocked by refuse,” he explained. “There is the need for us to remove every blockage to enhance free flow of water and avert flooding during heavy rainfall.”

Adunmo also commended Governor Oyebanji for taking proactive steps to protect lives and properties across the state.

Residents of Ise-Ekiti have welcomed the government’s intervention. Chief Godwin Ojo, a community leader, expressed gratitude to the governor for his timely action.

“We thank the governor for the move to avert flooding in our community,” Ojo said. “May God grant him more wisdom to pilot the affairs of the state to an enviable height.”

The dredging campaign forms part of the Oyebanji administration’s broader commitment to environmental safety and disaster prevention.

Developmental

Tinubu to visit Kaduna Thursday to inaugurate key projects

Published

2 weeks ago

June 19, 2025

Saadatu Sahabo

Tinubu commiserates with Akwa Ibom governor over wife’s death

President Bola Tinubu is expected in Kaduna State Today Thursday for the inauguration of several key developmental projects executed by the administration of Gov. Uba Sani.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the visit forms part of activities marking Sani’s two years in office.

The projects lined up for inauguration include the 300-bed Specialist Hospital in Millennium City, Kaduna, built by the state government to bolster the provision of healthcare services.

Tinubu will also inaugurate the Institute of Vocational Training and Skills Development in Rigachikun, road projects in Soba, and Samaru Kataf LGA’S as well as the 24-kilometre Kafanchan Township Road.

Others are the Tudun Biri Road, the 22km road linking Kauru and Kubau LGAs as well as the Vocational and Skills Training Centre in Tudun Biri.

Tinubu is also expected to unveil 100 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses, as part of efforts to modernise the state’s public transportation system.

The projects are part of the administration’s focus on infrastructurde evelopment, healthcare delivery, youths empowerment, and economic growth.

The state government described the visit as a significant moment for the people of Kaduna and an opportunity to showcase ongoing efforts to transform the state through impactful governance.

Sani, who marked his second year in office this month, has prioritised human capital development, rural infrastructure, and jobs creation since taking office in 2023.

Tinubu’s visit to Kaduna State was rescheduled from Wednesday to Thursday.

He was initially supposed to visit Kaduna on Wednesday, but due to the recent attacks in Benue, he shifted his trip.

The president visited Benue on Wednesday to commiserate with the victims of the recent attacks and assess the humanitarian crisis.

During his visit to Benue, Tinubu met with stakeholders, including traditional rulers, political and community leaders, and youth groups, to seek lasting solutions to the hostilities.

He also condemned the ongoing violence and called on the residents to embrace peace and mutual understanding.

NAN recalls that the Benue Government had declared a work-free day for Tinubu’s visit, urging the residents to turn out in large numbers to welcome him.