27th November, 2024
PRESS RELEASE:
KADUNA
REFINERY NEXT AFTER PORT HARCOURT – MURIC
The Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) Ltd began processing
crude oil yesterday, Tuesday, 26th November, 2024 after a turnaround
that lasted several years. This commendable milestone was achieved after several
deadlines for resumption failed.
However, in a statement made available to the media on Wednesday,
27th November, 2024 by the Executive Director of an Islamic human
rights group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Professor Ishaq Akintola, it
was argued that instead of turning attention to the Warri refinery for the next
turnaround, the oil industry should now focus on Kaduna refinery for strategic planning,
security concerns and geopolitical balancing.
The group contended further:
“Efforts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Ltd
(NNPCL) to revive the economy and secure autonomy for the nation in the oil
sector received another boost when the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC)
Ltd began processing crude oil yesterday, Tuesday, 26th November,
2024.
“This was after many attempts at a turnaround of the refinery
that lasted several years. This commendable milestone was achieved after several
deadlines for resumption failed. The resumption of the Port Harcourt Refinery,
which was initially inaugurated in 1965, raised Nigeria’s domestic refining
capacity to 860,000 barrels per day. (https://dailytrust.com/just-in-port-harcourt-refinery-begins-operations/).
“While
we commend NNPCL management for firmly setting the nation’s feet on a new era
of energy security and economic growth, we call for a re-engineering of thought-process
towards a change in focus, at least temporarily. Instead of turning attention
to the Warri refinery for the next turnaround, the oil industry should now
focus on the Kaduna refinery.
“Olufemi Soneye, spokesperson of NNPCL, was quoted as saying
that the corporation’s attention would now turn to the second Port Harcourt
refinery (the new one) and Warri Refinery.
“But this will not be fair, in our humble opinion, because
Kaduna Refinery which has the capacity to produce 110,000 barrels per day (bpd)
should be the next to be overhauled. This is for reasons of strategic planning,
security concerns and geopolitical balancing. We must get our priorities right.
“With
the Port Harcourt facility joining Dangote Refinery in Southern Nigeria, the attention
of the oil industry should shift to the North where no single refinery is
functioning at present. No region or zone should be sidelined in the
distribution of infrastructure. Besides, Nigeria should not put all its eggs in
one basket. There is, therefore, need for even distribution of oil facilities
across the country.
“In
addition, we call on NNPCL to expedite action on oil exploration in the North.
It has been revealed that hydrocarbon deposits have been found in commercial
quantity in the Kolmani River II Well spanning Bauchi and Gombe States on the
Upper Benue Trough, Gongola Basin, in the northeastern part of the country (https://tribuneonlineng.com/nnpcs-quest-for-oil-exploration-in-the-north/).
“This is necessary in order to mull arrogant claimants who
refer to the North as a liability to the rest of the country and refer to the
South as the nation’s cash cow. Such claims are false, baseless and reckless. We
complement each other as equal partners in nation building. We must therefore
eliminate the mantra of North-South dichotomy”
#PortHarcourtRefineryTurnaround
#KadunaRefineryNext
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Founder/Executive Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
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