Maire Tecnimont SpA, the contractor responsible for rehabilitating the Port Harcourt Refinery, stated it cannot disclose details about the rehabilitation process, including the proposed completion date.
This information was communicated via the law firm Olajide Oyewole LLP in response to an inquiry from Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, regarding the timeline for the refinery’s rehabilitation, according to The Punch.
In a letter dated September 30, 2024, the firm stated that as a private company, it is not obligated to comply with the Freedom of Information Act referenced by Femi Falana in his previous correspondence.
“We are counsel to Maire Tecnimont SpA, and we have our client’s instruction to respond to your letters dated 17 and 24 September 2024 requesting information on the contract between our client and Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd.
“Our client is a private company. Being a private independent contractor, our client is not a company in which any government has a controlling interest, and does not provide public services, functions, or utilize public funds for them to be bound by the obligations in the Freedom of Information Act.
“On this ground, our client regrettably cannot provide the information you have requested,” says Muyiwa Ogungbenro, Partner at Olajide Oyewole and addressed to Femi Falana.
Since December 2023, NNPC, responsible for all government refineries, has provided various dates to Nigerians, assuring them that the refinery would soon begin selling refined products.
In July, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPC, Mele Kyari stated unequivocally that the refinery would begin operations in early August.
The same Kyari had stated in 2019 that NNPC would deliver all four of the country’s refineries before the end of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
While appearing before the Senate in July, Kyari boasted, “I can confirm to you, Mr Chairman, that by the end of the year, this country will be a net exporter of petroleum products.
“Specific to NNPC refineries, we have spoken to a number of your committees, and it is impossible to have the Kaduna refinery come into operation before December, it will get to December, both Warri and Kaduna, but that of Port Harcourt will commence production early August this year.”
However, the promise was not fulfilled in August, marking the sixth postponement. While NNPC maintains that progress is being made, the refinery has yet to commence operations.
It was previously reported that the 210,000 barrels per day refinery achieved what NNPC referred to as mechanical completion of rehabilitation work in December.
The company stated that the facility would begin refining 60,000 barrels of crude oil daily after the Christmas break last year.
