Reps express support for NNPCL's rehabilitation of refineries

The morale of staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) was boosted within the week as the House of Representatives declared support for the company's quest to embark on the rehabilitation of the nation's refineries.

The support was declared by the House ad hoc Committee on Refineries after NNPCL intensified efforts to reduce the nation's dependence on importation of petroleum products.

Speaking during an oversight visit to the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC), the Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Abdul Ganiyu Johnson, said that they were ready and willing to work and support the NNPC towards realising the objective of the rehabilitation.

Johnson said that the committee's visit was to ascertain the level of work that is ongoing in the refinery while expressing satisfaction that the contractor has already mobilised equipment and personnel to the site.

The chairman gave the assurance that the committee would support any measure being taken by the NNPCL to ensure the commencement of production that would ultimately reduce dependence on fuel importation.

The company's acting managing director, Mr. Desmond Inyamah, gave a brief overview of the plant and revealed that a Quick-fix Maintenance Service Contract for the refinery had been signed in June and that Areas 1 and 2 would be finished in 12 months.

Inyamah noted that the 12 months would begin to count from the commencement of work, adding that the refinery would operate at 60 per cent of its installed capacity after the completion of the Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit (FCC).

He expressed delight at the show of solidarity and support by the legislators.

It would be recalled that the quick fix maintenance service agreement for the Warri refinery was signed with Daewoo Nigeria Limited on June 24 in Abuja.

Refineries Rehab: Reps Back NNPCL, Declare Total Support

In another development, the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers (NSCHE) conferred the institution's Honorary Fellowship on the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the NNPCL, Malam Mele Kyari.

The ceremony took place at the society's 30th Fellows' Conference in Abuja.

Speaking at the ceremony, Prof. Ayodele Ogunye, a former president of the society, stated that the honour was in recognition of the valuable contributions of the Kyari-led NNPC towards the advancement of chemical engineering in Nigeria.

Ogunye noted that the company remained the largest employer of chemical engineers in the country.

Kyari, who was the Guest Speaker at the conference with the theme: "New Perspectives for Addressing Upstream, Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Issues in Nigeria", disclosed that the new NNPC was open to a new business model of taking equity in viable projects against sole ownership.

He said the major focus of the company was to ensure that the nation's refineries returned to optimal production capacity before presenting them to stakeholders to decide on the best way to manage the assets in the interest of all concerned.

The NNPCL GCEO pointed out that the company, while taking advantage of the opportunities provided by current assets to satisfy the energy needs of today, looked forward to converting the plants into other useful purposes toward the 2060 net zero commitment.

In his remarks, the conference chairman, retired Maj.-Gen. IBM Haruna, advised the leadership of the new NNPCL to take seriously the issue of good corporate governance based on transparency and accountability.

Haruna said this would enable the company to gain the confidence of the people, especially on matters of land and other operational assets.

On his part, the President of the NSCHE and former Group Executive Director, Gas and Power Directorate of the NNPC, Mr. Seidu Mohammed, commended the NNPCL GCEO for the achievements recorded within the few years in office.

He said that the body was ready to proffer workable solutions toward assisting the new NNPCL achieve its desired goal, stressing that the society had a pool of experienced professionals in that regard.

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