Mohammed Shosanya
The National Civil Society Council of Nigeria (NCSCN) has faulted speculations that the Port Harcourt Refinery (PHRC) has gone down again.
NCSCN Executive Director, Blessing Akinlosotu,debunked the claims in a statement on Monday,adding that the refinery’s functionality contributed immensely to the stability being experienced in the supply and distribution of the petroleum products across the country.
He said by January 2025,the Council will undertake a stakeholders’ visit to the refinery to assess its production capacity and operational records.
According to him,the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited recently announced a historic achievement, exceeding its profit projection for 2024 with N3.29trillion.
He observed that despite this milestone, there has been a calculated media propaganda aimed at discrediting the refinery’s operations.
“This entire negative narrative might just be part of the broader strategy and politics in the industry to fight competition,” Akinlosotu said.
“It can be seen that across the country within this yuletide season, there is remarkable stability in supplies and distribution of Petroleum Products at stipulated prices, unlike previous years. This is a good testament to the leadership competence at the NNPCL, coupled with the functionality of the PHRC.”
The group advised Nigerians to “see through these lies and support NNPCL’s efforts towards improving local production of Petroleum products.”
