Host communities in Okrika and Eleme local government areas of Rivers State have urged the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) to adhere to the 30-day timeframe it had given for maintenance work on the Port Harcourt Refinery (PHRC).

The host communities at a media briefing in Port Harcourt expressed concern over the recent shutdown of the facility by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited.

The communities, under the aegis of HOSCOM Bulk Petroleum Retailers of the Port Harcourt Refinery, frowned at the rationale behind shutting down a refinery that had not yet functioned at full capacity, less than a year after it resumed operations.

Sunny Nkpe, chairman of the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the HOSCOM Bulk Petroleum Retailers, urged the Federal Government to immediately appoint persons with strong technical expertise to oversee the refinery’s operations and to ensure timely completion of the ongoing revamp.

“This refinery started steaming around October last year and it was the reason why we gave our massive support. They say they are shutting down for repairs which we don’t believe are taking place. We believe it is an attempt to shut it down like Warri and other refineries, so we are requesting that the 30-days shutdown should be strictly adhered to,” Nkpe said.

The BOT chairman added: “We are requesting the Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, to quickly appoint a new managing director for the refinery so that the rehabilitation can go smoothly and set goals achieved”.

He, however, expressed confidence in the contractor company handling the turnaround maintenance of the refinery and urged the government to provide sufficient funding to enable faster progress.

Tekena Ikpaki, Administrative Chairman of the organization and chairman of Independent Petroleum Marketers (IPMAN), Rivers State Unit, warned that if the 30-days’ timeline is not adhered to, it could create artificial scarcity in the state and other states that depend on supply from the Port Harcourt Refinery.

He suggested there could be phased maintenance of the facility as against a complete shutdown so as not to stop the outflow of products which could trigger panic buying amongst consumers.

“We know that the refinery still has products in their reservoir but if this reserve is depleted, on what product would the nation be sustained? So, we are saying that if they say it’s 30 days, they should try to stay within the 30 days maintenance period because after this point, there may be artificial scarcity in town that would affect the marketers and the entire nation,” Ikpaki said.

Inimgba Emmanuel, BOT Secretary who also is the Zonal Secretary, Eastern Zone of IPMAN, expressed concern that the shutdown may signal another hike in prices of fuel.

“When this refinery was down completely, PMS market value was about N1200 but when it came up, prices started going down gradually,” Inimgba said, adding that another hike would impact marketers, retailers, communities and Nigerians.

Joseph Obele, Administrative Secretary of the organization, however, expressed deep fears that the shutting down of the Port Harcourt Refinery could be a ploy to grant monopoly to a certain private refinery in the country.

He warned that if such monopolisation is allowed in the sector that Nigerians would be made to buy fuel at very exorbitant prices.

Obele recalled that as at June/July last year when a particular private refinery started, fuel was selling for about H1,300 per litre, but as at October/November when the old Port Harcourt Refinery came up, it came down to between N800 and N900 Naira.”