Port-Harcourt Refinery not shutdown, fully operational, says NNPCL

Maureen Aguta

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has said that it is untrue that the Old Port Harcourt refinery that was re-streamed two months ago has been shut down.

A report had emerged that the refinery stopped distributing petrol on December 13.

It was reported that when visited, the facility’s 18-arm loading area, where trucks normally fill up with petrol, was empty.

It added that while 18 trucks were parked along the main road to the refinery and 9 more were in the parking area, none were being loaded.

It also reported that the usually busy depot was quiet, with almost no people or vehicles involved in operations.

But the Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Ltd,Olufemi Soneye, in a statement yesterday said the report was false.

Soneye said: The attention of the NNPC Ltd has been drawn to reports in a section of the media alleging that the Old Port Harcourt Refinery which was re-streamed two months ago has been shut down.

“We wish to clarify that such reports are totally false as the refinery is fully operational as verified a few days ago by former Group Managing Directors of NNPC. Preparation for the day’s loading operation is currently ongoing.

“Members of the public are advised to discountenance such reports as they are the figments of the imagination of those who want to create artificial scarcity and rip-off Nigerians.”