Port Harcourt Refinery: Oil Business Not Same Thing As Selling Cement, Sugar – FFK Tackles Dangote

Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Nigerian Minister of Tourism, has slammed opponents of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited following the recent reactivation of Port Harcourt Refinery.

He claimed that some sections in the private sector of the oil and gas business attempt to undermine and downplay the Port Harcourt Refinery’s revitalization.

Fani-Kayode made this known in a statement on his official X handle on Thursday night, stating that the oil business is not the same as selling sugar, spaghetti, and cement, and addressing Aliko Dangote, president of Dangote Refinery.

His comments come amid concerns over the Port Harcourt Refinery’s future after NNPCL declared on Tuesday that the refinery had begun trucking out petroleum products.

In an interview with Arise Television on Thursday, November 28, Timothy Mgbere, Secretary of the Alesa community stakeholders, claimed that the Port Harcourt Refinery trucked out old stock rather than freshly refined petroleum goods.

However, Fani-Kayode accused some groups in the industry’s private sector of being involved for a smear campaign aimed at discrediting NNPCL’s Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the restart of the Port Harcourt Refinery after years of inactivity.

He emphasized that the Port Harcourt Refinery represents a significant win for Nigeria.

According to him, what Nigerians require is for NNPCL refineries to thrive alongside Dangote Refinery and others.

He said, “The resurrection of the PH refinery is one of the most encouraging things that has happened in the petroleum sector for many years, and the credit for this must go to the President and the GMD of NNPC.

“It is a pity that some elements in the private sector who are new in the field are doing all they can to undermine and understate this great victory for Nigeria.

“The oil business is not the same as selling sugar, spaghetti, cement, or rice, and no matter how hard you try, you cannot muscle your way and create a monopoly on the sale of refined products as you did for other commodities over the years.”.

He added: “NNPC will go from strength to strength, and once its other refineries are working as well, Nigerians will have cause to smile again. Let the new kid on the block flourish, but let the NNPC refineries flourish too. That should be our goal and not a squalid attempt to discredit NNPC and its leadership.

“Every optimistic and true lover of Nigeria’s progress and President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda must be proud of the GMD Mele Kyari. His tenacity, bravery, ingenuity, and forthrightness have been rewarded with this great feat. Surely this is hope renewed for Nigerians.”

On Tuesday, the NNPCL declared the start of petroleum product production at the Port Harcourt Refinery.