Reps questions NNPC officials, others over moribund refineries, illegal spending

The House of Representatives’ Ad Hoc Committee on the State of Refineries in Country, on Friday evening, informed senior officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, now the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, in furtherance of the investigation into the collapse of the refineries.

The NNPC told the committee that further refinement of the refinery in Port Harcourt would be completed by March 2023.

The Director of the Party, NNPC, Mele Kyari, said the restructuring, which was contracted on May 6, 2021, had reached a 30 per cent completion rate.

He added that although part of the project would be delivered within 32 months, all work was expected to be completed within 42 months.

Kyari, who was represented by Group General Manager, Refineries & Petrochemicals, Mustapha Yakubu, however, disclosed that contracts for the refurbishment of the Warri and Kaduna refinery were not awarded. He also pointed out that the exploration site research contract follows the correct procedure.

There has been a small drama in the field of inquiry into the cost of a refinery capable of producing 150,000 barrels per day.

The committee requested that the Federal Executive Council approve the $ 1.5bn refinery in Port Harcourt, approving the various costs incurred on July 26, 2017, which could cost $ 5.321 million in complete technology programs, and another $ 55m paid on the same day. .

Lawmakers have expressed dissatisfaction with the response of Sapien Engineering Company, which has contracted a comprehensive technical research contract at a Port Harcourt refinery for $ 135m, and an additional £ 2.3m to test both Warri and Kaduna refineries.

After going through the documents submitted by the NNPC to the committee, lawmakers saw similar contracts for these three cleaners were awarded to another company (Technomont) in 2019.

The Executive Director of Port Harcourt Refinery, Ahmed Dikko, has revealed that the full conversion industry will cost $ 4.5bn and will be completed within five years.

However, lawmakers Saif realized that the same project would cost $ 90m in the United States.

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