Your Statement On Port Harcourt Refinery Rehabilitation Is Reckless; Group Tells NLC Deputy President
The Integrity Youth Alliance has condemned the reckless statement credited to the Former NLC Deputy President, Comrade Isa Tijani
In a press release on Friday, 21st January, 2022 signed by the National Coordinator of the Alliance, Kelvin Adegbenga, he said that the former Labour Deputy President cannot blackmail the excellent rehabilitation on-going at the Port Harcourt Refining Company under the capable leadership of Engr. Ahmed Dikko.
“It is unfortunate that despite the clarification by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited that the minor fire incident that occurred at the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) was put out in less than two hours as a result of a spark while a 33,000 litre truck was discharging naphtha into a tank at the PHRC, the Former NLC deputy President, Comrade Isa Tijani could say, “They promised to rehabilitate the Port Harcourt refinery they have allegedly burnt some part of it.”
“Reckless statements like this are totally condemnable. Despite the explanation by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Garba Deen Muhammad that the incident affected only the discharging truck and the pump bay, noting that other property was damaged, Comrade Isa Tijani could utter such irresponsible statement, shows the low level of Labour leader running the affairs of Union in Nigeria, the statement said.
The statement read further, “The good news about the Port Harcourt Refinery Rehabilitation is that on Tuesday, 8th December, 2021, the House Committee on Petroleum Resources Downstream led by its Chairman, Abdullahi Gaya, visited the Refinery in Eleme, Rivers State, as part of its oversight function.
“During the visit, the Committee said the April 2023 completion of repairs on the $1.5billion Port Harcourt refinery was achievable. This alone should send a signal to the same Labour that have been clamouring for a functioning Refinery that our refinery will work optimally again.
“The transparency in running the Port Harcourt Refinery under Engr. Ahmed Dikko is second to none as he has keyed into the Transparency, Accountability and Performance Excellence (TAPE) Agenda of the GMD/CEO of the NNPC Limited.
“No wonder Engr. Ahmed Dikko, while speaking with newsmen during the House Committee on Petroleum Resources Downstream oversight function to the Refinery said a lot of grounds have so far been covered, pointing out that the timeline was feasible.
“You have seen it yourself, the project has just started and we are putting our energies around all the refinery which we promised we will complete the first phase within 24-months.
“We have covered a lot of grounds to reach where we are today and make sure we meet that obligation to complete the whole refinery within 44 months, while we are still working on other parts of the refinery.
“The April 2023 target of the rehabilitation of the refinery is achievable,” Dikko said.
“We challenge the former Labour Deputy President to go on a working tour of the Port Harcourt Refining Company as we are ready to pick up his bill to do so, '' the statement concluded.