By Tina Amanda
An environmentalist, Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, has attributed the collapse of the Port Harcourt Refinery to years of neglect and inadequate maintenance, compounded by corrupt practices during the fuel subsidy regime.
Fyneface, who is the Executive Director of the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), said the refinery’s moribund state resulted from deliberate actions by individuals who prioritized personal financial gain over the facility’s upkeep.
“They failed to conduct regular maintenance on the refinery, leading to its shutdown and the challenges of reviving it. The situation is not unconnected with the corruption in the subsidy regime, where certain individuals sought to profit rather than fix the facility. If routine turn-around maintenance was done every two to three years, as experts recommend, the refinery would not have reached this state.”
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He criticized the neglect saying: “You cannot own four cars, just as we have four refineries in Nigeria, and let all of them break down at the same time without repairing at least one. This systemic failure is politically motivated.”
The environmentalist further noted that the refinery has been operating with outdated technology from the 1960s and 1970s, which added to the difficulty and cost of rehabilitation. He also cited factors like fluctuating import tariffs and the rising dollar exchange rate as reasons for the delayed repairs.
“On November 23, 2024, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) announced the partial resumption of operations at the refinery. However, I am skeptical about the development.
“They’ve promised to bring the refinery online multiple times in the past, only to shift the timeline repeatedly. This time, they opted not to set a public date, but the reality of the refinery’s operations remains to be seen.
“The claim of trucking 200 trucks of products daily must translate into tangible outcomes, such as reduced fuel prices and a sustainable refining process.”
Fyneface also emphasized the need for transparency and accountability, adding that his organization would monitor the situation closely to verify the NNPCL’s claims.
“Let’s see if this isn’t just another media show what Nigerians need is a functional refinery, not promises.”
