A Professor of Law at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Joy Ezeilo (SAN), has faulted the deadline given by the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company LTD, Mele Kyari, concerning the date the Port Harcourt Refinery would start pumping oil.
The refinery had been prostrate for years, despite the several turn-around maintenance it had undergone under successive administration in the past two decades or more.
However, Kyari had promised the nation that, come March 28, the Port Harcourt Refinery would become functional again.
Taking to her verified X [formerly Twitter] handle @NgoziEzeilo, she had tweeted:
Regarding the breaking news about the Port Harcourt Refinery starting production in two weeks, by March 28th, 2024, if I were Mele Kyari, CEO of NNPC, I wouldn’t announce when the refineries will resume operations. Instead, I would wait until they start and bring in the media to show live that the refinery is now refining crude oil, and trucks are loading in real-time. This will convince Nigerians with a lot of mistrust in the state of affairs at the NNPC.
Nowadays, it is not difficult to refine crude oil, especially when nations have successfully sent missions to the moon and beyond by utilising advanced technologies.
Even during the Nigerian civil war, it was said that Biafrans were able to refine crude oil and produce “nuclear weapons”, yet today, we seem to be stuck in the past as a nation.
The problem persists because of a lack of patriotism, failure to act in the national best interest, lack of meritocracy, weak followership divided along ethnic and religious faultiness, pervasive hydra-headed corruption, and inefficiency in the public sector, among others that have become Nigeria’s bane.
I pray that the March 28 promise will be kept and that I may have something good to celebrate for my birthday (27 March) about Nigeria and being a Nigerian.
Meanwhile, other Nigerians have also voiced their reactions:
What will you do if the refinery doesn’t start work by the next two weeks? Nothing. That’s why he will say whatever he likes. 😆 🤣 😂
— Crypto Airdrop | 50x (@blochief) March 16, 2024
Nothing is going to work on the 28th of March, my dear Prof @NgoziEzeilo .
Making Nigerian Press-type, “earth-shattering annoucements” is the modus operandi of anything from the APC regime. It is a sign to show they exist, & not necessarily to show they are working.— Dr. Kelechi Ugonna (PhD) (@Ugo_KelechiPhD) March 15, 2024
Your idea comes from a place of good faith.
The people at NNPC know that the refinery is far from ready, if at all, but lies and deceit are the new currencies of state.
Let us continue to pray for life and health, so we will see the outcome of it all.
— RoLa (@rotilaw) March 15, 2024
We will wait and see. Nigerians have been lied to a lot. The next question is, if the refinery begins working how will it get crude? NNPCL can’t supply Dangote, can’t meet OPEC quota, from where will the crude come?
— Chukwunyerem (@nwamakata1) March 15, 2024
I can understand Nigerians’ distrust of this government. Regarding the refinery completion, like many other things they’ve promised, they’ve shifted the goalposts and dropped the ball repeatedly. That’s why Nigerians have dubbed them a “government by headlines.”
— Fay (@AlamuYusuf2) March 16, 2024
Was it not the same thing said about the dangote refinery, it’s just a propaganda
— Manuel Chiagozie (@ChiagozieManuel) March 16, 2024
I don’t know y they like doing this nonsense. Make announcement when they haven’t started. What’s d benefit?
— Christian Ezeibe (@bondlozy) March 16, 2024
It’s a government of propaganda
— Chibuzo Orame (@Chibuzo79258188) March 15, 2024
