The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) is embroiled in a fresh controversy over claims surrounding the Port Harcourt refinery’s operations.
Timothy Mgbere, Secretary of the Alesa community stakeholders, raised concerns about the NNPCL’s recent announcement that the refinery had resumed full operations.
Alesa, which hosts the Port Harcourt refinery in Rivers State, is directly affected by these developments.
Mgbere, during an interview on Arise TV, accused the NNPCL of misleading Nigerians by lifting old petroleum products stored in the refinery’s tanks for over three years.
“The products loaded from the refinery on Tuesday were not freshly refined,” Mgbere revealed.
According to him, only six trucks were loaded, contrary to NNPCL’s promise of 200 trucks daily.
“I can tell you on authority as a community person that what happened on Tuesday was just a mere show,” he declared.
Mgbere described the event as a publicity stunt orchestrated to create a false impression of success.
“The Port Harcourt refinery is barely operational. Only a few units have been restarted, not the entire facility,” he added.
He acknowledged some progress but insisted that NNPCL’s claims of producing 1.4 million barrels per day were false.
“The agency should not put out misleading information. Nigerians deserve to know the truth,” Mgbere stressed.
He pointed out that senior NNPCL officials, including the CEO, were present in Port Harcourt on Monday to stage the event.
“They hosted the party at a new loading facility, but the products came from old stock in storage tanks,” he explained.
The loaded trucks were reportedly televised to give the impression that they contained newly refined products.
“Nigerians should know that only six trucks were loaded, not 200,” he emphasized.
In an exclusive report by SaharaReporters, sources corroborated Mgbere’s claims, stating that the NNPCL was not trucking Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from the refinery.
Instead, they allegedly blended products purchased from Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Limited (IEPL) with Naphtha.
“Cracked C5, a modified petroleum resin, was blended with Naphtha to sell to the public,” a source disclosed.
Indorama, based in Port Harcourt, is a key supplier of these products.
The source added that the refinery’s old plant, which produces diesel, is operational, but the section that produces PMS is yet to start.
“The plant is running at a limited capacity. It can’t produce petrol at the moment,” another insider revealed.
Despite NNPCL’s attempts to downplay the allegations, the company admitted to blending petroleum products.
They described the process as a standard industry practice and dismissed the criticism as a witch-hunt.
Mgbere, however, maintained that the public deserves transparency.
“We must hold NNPCL accountable. Nigerians need to know the truth about the refinery’s status,” he insisted.
Critics have called for an independent investigation to verify NNPCL’s claims and the actual state of the Port Harcourt refinery.
This development raises questions about Nigeria’s ongoing struggle to achieve fuel self-sufficiency.
The refinery, which underwent a multi-billion-dollar rehabilitation, was expected to ease the nation’s dependence on fuel imports.
However, allegations of deception and incomplete operations now cloud its reopening.
Many Nigerians are disillusioned, demanding clarity from NNPCL and government authorities.
“This is not just about the refinery; it’s about trust and accountability,” Mgbere concluded.
