Expect resumption of refining at Port Harcourt Refinery before December—IPMAN
The Chairman of IPMAN in Rivers State, Dr Joseph Obele, has said the Port Harcourt refinery will likely beat the December deadline for the completion of its turnaround maintenance and will soon be refining fuel for local consumption.
Obele said in an interview with Saturday PUNCH that the pace at which work was going on at the refinery had increased, adding that while on a visit to the site recently, he noticed that majority of the work, including the mechanical and civil aspects, had been completed.
The President had earlier assured Nigerians that the refinery would commence operation by December, but the IPMAN boss said the deadline would only be realistic if the Federal Government appropriately channelled funds into the project.
He stated, “Recently, we were at the site for an oversight function and we discovered that they had double the number of workers and they were working 24 hours round the clock at the Port Harcourt refinery. Before now, the work was going at a snail’s speed, but now I can tell you that the work is going at horse speed.
“It is encouraging because they are done with the mechanical and civil jobs, and what is remaining are electrical installations and technical jobs, which they are doing now. Plus or minus, that plant will be operational by November if the government pumps in more funds. We the stakeholders have posited that the over N1tn saved from subsidy removal should be channelled into doubling the workforce as it will hasten the work.”
*Culled From The Punch Today 19th August ’23
