Corruption has been identified as the main factor militating against the rehabilitation and operation of Port Harcourt Refinery.
The secretary of Alesa Stakeholders’ Forum, Comrade Timothy Mbere, made this known in an interview with our correspondent.
Mr. Mbere, who described complacency and lack of transparency in the management of the refinery, said the sum of $1.5 billion expended on the resuscitation of the ailing plant was enough to build a new refinery if properly utilised and lamented that the huge sum spent was not accounted for.
“NNPCL is a very complex system that is run by a cabal. Usually, there is a succession plan. If Engineer Mele Kyari has gone out, retired, sacked, whatever language the Federal Government may have used, it is expected that another most senior ranking officer would have stepped in, but they brought Ojulari from the private sector”, he stressed.
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Mr. Mbere noted that selling the Port Harcourt refinery would not serve as the solution to the problems bedevilling the plant, stating that proper management geared towards viability would be the ideal alternative.
“Talking about privatising the asset, as a community person, the community would support that because we stand to benefit most. As a business person, you would not advise that the asset should be sold under the current circumstances. It is expected that the plant should be brought under steam and made to be functional and bring revenue before you can think about other options”, he noted.
Mr. Mbere commended the private refineries for their impact on the distribution of petroleum products, which has led to a fall in the prices of petroleum products.
The Secretary Alesa Stakeholders Forum urged Nigerians to be patient and support the present management of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited to deliver effectively.
