Nigerians Slams FG as IPMAN Announces Yet Another Delay for PH Refinery's Take-Off

The announcement by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) on August 8, 2024, that the Port Harcourt Refinery would become operational within four weeks has been met with widespread skepticism among Nigerians.

This skepticism is rooted in a history of unfulfilled promises and political rhetoric surrounding the refinery's rehabilitation.

In the past, similar assurances have been made without fruition. For instance, the Minister of State for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri, had previously assured Nigerians that the refinery would start operations by December 2023. However, this deadline passed without any progress, and no apologies were offered.

Again, on March 13, 2024, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, promised that the rehabilitated Port Harcourt Refinery would commence operations in two weeks. This promise also went unmet, further eroding public trust.

The latest announcement by IPMAN's National Operations Controller, Zarma Mustapha, stated that the refinery would supply between 10 and 12 million litres of petrol daily, boosting the country's petroleum product availability to about 11 to 15 million liters daily. Mustapha emphasized that the refinery would operate independently and sell at prevailing market prices with minimal government interference.

He expressed confidence that the August deadline would be met, stating, "I am confident and optimistic that this August deadline is going to be a realistic deadline. It will come on stream and fully produce all the necessary components that the refinery is supposed to produce."

Despite these assurances, many Nigerians remain doubtful. The president of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Alhaji Yerima Shettima, highlighted the government's history of broken promises, saying, "The problem with the promise is just that we have a government that speaks from both sides of the mouth and previous promises have come and gone without fulfillment."

Similarly, an independent petroleum marketer, Chief Dipo Lanre, expressed strong reservations about the feasibility of the promise, recalling past failures: "Remember that during Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, the same Port Harcourt Refinery was sold to Mike Otedola and Aliko Dangote, but the money was later returned to them. And since that money was returned to Otedola and Dangote, the refinery has not returned to operation; it has been promises upon promises."

Public affairs analyst Nze Ezeocha also voiced his skepticism, noting that this was the fourth time the NNPCL and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources had promised the refinery's operation. He remarked, "This is the fourth time that the NNPCL and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources are telling Nigerians that the PH Refinery would be operational in weeks. And at the end of the day, nothing would come out of it."

The prolonged delays and repeated unfulfilled promises have led many Nigerians to view the situation as a "harvest of promises with unending deceptions."

Dr. Pogu Bitrus, president of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), echoed this sentiment, stating, "We do propaganda with everything. We politicise everything. The President doesn’t have to tell us that the Port Harcourt Refinery is on course when it is not fully on course."