Some lawyers from the Niger Delta have issued an ultimatum to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its Managing Director, Mele Kyari, to ensure the Port Harcourt Refinery becomes operational before the end of September, as previously promised.
According to the lawyers, the refinery's non-functionality has led to an energy crisis, with oil-producing communities forced to purchase fuel at higher rates than other parts of the country.
Under the auspices of the Coalition of Niger Delta Youth on Energy Reforms and Transparency in the Oil and Gas Sector, they said this is a deliberate attempt to further impoverish the Niger Delta region.
In a statement co-signed by Dickens A. Opu and Werigbelegha Zinake, the lawyers expressed concerns over the refinery's proposed conversion into a blending plant for substandard petroleum products from Russia, arguing it would expose the region to harmful chemicals and environmental pollution.
Mele Kyari had earlier stated that the Port Harcourt Refinery would commence operations by December 2024, with the Warri and Kaduna refineries following suit in the first quarter of 2024 and by the end of 2024, respectively.
However, the lawyers demand immediate action, citing the region's significant contribution to the country's revenue.
“We wish to state that we have it on good authority that the Port Harcourt refinery si being packaged to become a blending plant where substandard petroleum products from Russia will be mixed with chemicals and sold to the Niger Delta people. This is not only acceptable, it also shows a gross disdain for the Niger Delta people,” the statement said.
“Those in authority do not care about the negative impact of this plan on the livelihood of the Niger Delta people. The Niger Delta people would be subjected to untold hardship by paying more for petroleum products, and also the attendant consequence in other critical sectors of the Niger Delta economy.
“The economic value chain around the operations of the Port Harcourt refinery would be greatly disrupted and bring about a regime of hopelessness and the resort to crime and criminality to make ends meet. Let us not forget that the level of crime and criminality of proportional to the economic standing of the people.
“The move by the Mele Kyari led NPCL to convert the Port Harcourt refinery into a blending plant for substandard petroleum products from Russia and other European destinations comes with the attendant health implications for the people of the region.
“The people would indeed be exposed to harmful chemicals from environmental pollution and degradation from the waste products that would be released into the environment as a consequence.
The rot in the administration of the oil and gas sector in Nigeria is phenomenal.
“The Mele Kyari-led NNPCL has taken the lack of transparency and accountability to another height. The country has lost huge revenues to the activities of the cartel that is aided and abetted by the Mele Kyari-led NNPCL.
“We are tempted to say that the Niger Delta people have been slated for extinction. The Coalition of Niger Delta Youth On Energy Reforms and Transparency in the Oil and Gas Sector frowns at such a disposition which is a dangerous trend that must be halted and addressed with a sense of urgency.
“The Niger Delta people are an important contributor to the revenue generation of the country and as such it must not be treated with disdain and levity.”
The Niger Delta lawyers demand that the federal government ensures the Port Harcourt Refinery becomes operational before the end of September, institutes reforms in the oil and gas sector prioritizing oil-producing communities, and investigates the administration of the oil and gas sector under Mele Kyari's leadership.
According to them, the federal government's prompt intervention is crucial to halt the dangerous trend of neglect and ensure transparency and accountability in the sector, adding that the socioeconomic implications of inaction will be severe with potential increases in crime and criminality.
The lawyers urge the relevant authorities to act in the best interest of the Niger Delta people and the country.
The statement added: “We are therefore calling on the federal government to look into the plight of the Niger Delta people and do all that is necessary to improve the lot of the people through the entrenchment of transparency and accountability in the administration of the oil and gas sector ni the country.
“The first step ni this regard is to ensure the full functionality of the Port Harcourt refinery and other refineries in the country. The second step is to institute reforms in the administration of the oil and gas sector in the country with emphasis on the oil and gas-producing communities that are home to the major source of revenue for the country.
“The third step is to institute a probe into the administration of the oil and gas sector by the Mele Kyari-led NNPCL. We are calling on the relevant authorities to urgently address the lingering issues in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria. The socioeconomic outlook of the country is worrisome and the country does not have the luxury of time as the situation in the country is getting grimmer by the day.
“The time to act is now and it is our firm belief that the relevant authorities would act ni the best interest of the Niger Delta people and the country at large.
Thank you and God bless.“
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