Ex-IPMAN Chairman Reveals State Of Port Harcourt Refinery Amid Reports On Commencement Of Operation

Former chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in Rivers State, Joseph Obele, has declared that the Port Harcourt Refinery is currently undergoing an initial rehabilitation phase.

Naija News reports that his clarification comes amid reports that the Port Harcourt refinery has resumed operation.

Obele, who supervised the facility during his leadership as the IPMAN chairman in the state, told journalists that the first stage of the refurbishment is currently in the testing stage.

“Test run in progress,” Obele told Daily Trust when contacted to comment on work progress at the refinery.

Naija News reports that the December completion deadline set by the Federal Government has become controversial as stakeholders in the oil industry have expressed strong reservations about the delivery date.

The Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, had earlier assured Nigerians during his visit to the refinery that the first phase of the rehabilitation work would be completed by December 2023.

‘You Are Inviting Anarchy If You Increase Price Of Petrol To ₦750’ – NLC Kicks Amidst World Bank’s Suggestion

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NCL) has cautioned the Federal Government against raising petrol prices to ₦750/litre, as advised by the World Bank.

In an interview with Punch, NLC’s Head of Information, Benson Upah predicted potential anarchy if petrol prices are increased further.

The NLC urged the government to dismiss the World Bank’s proposal, contrasting with current fuel prices ranging from ₦620 to ₦650/litre.

Naija News recalls that the World Bank argued that removing fuel subsidies should raise petrol prices to ₦750/litre, suggesting current prices are not reflective of actual costs.

In its reaction, NLC described the World Bank as a predatory institution that does not care about the welfare of Nigerians, stressing that the initial increment in the pump price of PMS had caused enough problems in Nigeria.

Upah said, “The World Bank is globalist north in thoughts and actions and has little or no consideration for the global south. It is a predatory institution that the global north uses to justify its crimes against the south.

“It is almost single-handedly responsible for the ruination of the economies of countries of the global south for which it prescribes one solution for all ailments.

“It does not care what happens to Nigeria or Nigerians so it could, from its perch in Washington say whatever it likes or push around our leaders like house helps.

“The truth, however, remains that the present regime of the pump price of PMS has all but destroyed the country. To now ask the government to raise it to ₦750/litre is to invite anarchy upon the land.

“The World Bank is so hypocritical it fails to see the nexus between price and capacity. The minimum wage in Nigeria for a privileged few is ₦30,000. The same minimum wage in the United States where the law is enforced is ₦1.5m.

“In light of this, if the government knows what is good for it, it should ignore the World Bank but must remain committed to fighting inherent corruption in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry. It must also cut down the high cost of governance.”