The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has maintained that the Port Harcourt Refinery is fully operational, dismissing reports alleging that the Old Port Harcourt Refinery which started operation on November 26 has been shut down again.
NewsBand quoting Saturday PUNCH, reported that a visit at the refinery on Thursday, December 19, 2024, revealed that the loading of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, had stopped.
Observations showed that the 18-arm loading bay of the newly rehabilitated refinery was completely deserted.
The lifting of petrol stopped a week earlier, on Friday, December 13. While 18 trucks were parked along the busy road leading to the refinery, nine others were stationed in the parking yard.
The loading bay, typically bustling with activity, was eerily empty, with no visible operations or tanker movements
But while countering the claim in a statement on Saturday by its spokesman, Mr. Olufemi Soneye, the National oil company said preparation for the day’s loading operation is currently ongoing.
The statement reads, “The attention of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has been drawn to reports in a section of the media alleging that the Old Port Harcourt Refinery which was re-streamed two months ago has been shut down. We wish to clarify that such reports are totally false as the refinery is fully operational as verified a few days ago by former group managing directors of NNPC.
“Preparation for the day’s loading operation is currently ongoing. Members of the public are advised to discountenance such reports as they are the figments of the imagination of those who want to create artificial scarcity and rip-off Nigerians.”