The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), says the August deadline for the commencement of operations at the Port Harcourt refinery is realistic.
Speaking in an interview on Channels TV, Zarama Mustapha, national operations controller of IPMAN, said the refinery would produce all required petroleum products when it begins production.
Since the federal executive council (FEC) approved $1.5 billion for its rehabilitation project in 2021, the Port Harcourt refinery has remained moribund, despite several promises of timely completion by Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.
On March 15, Mele Kyari, the group chief executive officer (GCEO) of the NNPC, had said the refinery would begin production by the end of March, but this has not happened.
Setting a new deadline, the NNPC GCEO said the refinery would begin operations in early August.
Speaking during the interview, Mustapha said the NNPC would not miss the new deadline.
“I am confident and optimistic that this August deadline is going to be realistic,” he said.
“It will come on stream fully producing all the necessary components that refineries are supposed to produce.
“At least, the capacity, 60,000 barrels can give you somewhere around 10 to 12 million litres of premium motor spirit (PMS).”
Mustapha said the refinery would drive down the current price of petrol, but this would depend on the cost price of the crude at the international market.
He said the NNPC also has to pay the $1.5 billion loan borrowed for the project.
“There is this understanding that the refinery is going to perform independently and sell at whatever the daily market price for them to recoup their cost and it is not going to be run like a government entity like it has been before,” Mustapha said.
The IPMAN executive expressed optimism that the operationalisation of the refinery would boost daily petrol supply by 11 million litres to 15 million litres.
Headquarters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Jigawa State is currently on fire. The secretariat was torched during the violence that broke out Aggrieved youths had stormed the facility in Dutse, the state capital, where they destroyed bill boards and other publicity materials before burning down the building.
They also burnt vehicles that were parked within the premises. The violence spread to some other parts of the state as armed youths broke lose despite efforts of security operatives to contain them.
In Birnin Kudu, where some persons sustained injuries, the State Fertilizer Store and Grains Store were all vandalized and looted by the hoodlums, while the store of the state Agricultural Supply Company (JASCO) in Gumel was also attacked.
The mob also attacked residence of the House of Representatives member representing Gumel, Gagarawa and Maigarati, as well as the residence of the APC Zonal Vice Chairman.
EFCC @officialEFCC officials early this morning invaded Annex and Regional hotels in Isashi ojo Lagos, owned by same person.
They broke into rooms, assaulted guests and workers, stole ATM cards, money and phones. Shot sporadically at guests, injured innocent customers, and arrested lots of people. For clarity, the room they broke into in this CCTV footage belongs to workers and staff of the hotel.
The person in there is the manager, whom they assaulted. She heard their noise and woke up from sleep by past 4:am. Only for them to break into the room and they started assaulting her. They did the same thing to most of the guests. They beat and assaulted many of them. Both women and men.
The camera was installed in the workers general room by the management of the hotel, so workers don't sell out the room, or engage in acts the hotel is against, or even smuggle things in there. It's just for sleeping, but the convenience has no camera.
We arrested the bandits, and they confessed that they killed people and had weapons in their hands. We handed them over to the authorities and they were taken to court. However, we received news yesterday that they were granted bail in Abuja,” says Governor Dauda Lawal at the Zamfara State High Court of Justice
He spoke in hausa
“We arrested the bandits, and they confessed that they killed people and had weapons in their hands. We handed them over to the authorities and they were taken to court. However, we received news yesterday that they were granted bail in Abuja,” says Governor Dauda Lawal at the… pic.twitter.com/unoCqwBo7V