A community leader has cast doubt on the recent resumption of operations at the Port-Harcourt Refinery, alleging that the petroleum products loaded from the facility are not freshly refined but rather three-year-old stock. Timothy Mgbere, Secretary of the Alesa community stakeholders, made this revelation during an appearance on Arise TV.
Mgbere also claimed that the refinery only loaded six trucks on Tuesday, contrary to the stated plan of loading 200 trucks daily. He described the ceremony held to mark the resumption of operations as a “party,” stressing that the full units of the old complex are not functional.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) had announced that the newly rehabilitated complex of the old Port Harcourt refinery was operating at a refining capacity of 70% of its installed capacity. However, Mgbere’s allegations raise questions about the actual state of the refinery’s operations.
