Tina Amanda
The federal government has been called upon to expedite action on the restoration of Port Harcourt Refinery in order to alleviate the suffering of over five thousand refinery workers.
Public relations officer Independent Marketers Branch of NUPENG Unit, Comrade Ebgeaduma Collins stated this while fielding questions from our reporter Tina Amanda.
According to him, Port Harcourt Refinery has not been functional for over five months, stressing that the nation would have been thrown into serious scarcity of petroleum products but for private refineries’ intervention.
“Government should take urgent steps to do a critical turnaround maintenance. Every time we keep hearing turnaround maintenance, yet we are not seeing the outcome of the maintenance.
“The refineries being down has resulted in most workers losing their jobs, some marketers borrowed money from the bank and cannot pay back the loan, it has affected many families.
“The refinery’s incapabilities has made private refineries dominate the functions that are to be carried out by government built refineries.
“I want the federal government to put these refineries in order to stop the sufferings refinery workers are facing at the moment”
He noted that the production of DPK (kerosene) and Diesel have not been made available in Port Harcourt refinery due to the failure of the refinery to function.
“Port Harcourt refinery is one of the biggest refineries in the federation. It has two refineries in one place, the old and new and the two is grounded at the same time.
It is most unfortunate that Port Harcourt cannot produce kerosene or diesel it is very pathetic. Port Harcourt refinery supposed to be loading DPK and AGO, but these products are not available.
Warri refinery has not been functional for over two months, Kaduna refinery has not worked for over a year, the government really need to do something urgently”
