National Telescope national telescope newspaper
By Chuks Peter, DELTA
A coalition of Niger Delta oil-producing ethnic nationalities has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prioritize the revival of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, warning that continued neglect threatens the region’s economic stability.
Over 300 coalition members gathered on Friday at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Zonal Office in Warri, Delta State, to protest the refineries’ dormancy and issue a 21-day ultimatum for action.
Comrade Emmanuel F. Pathfinder, President and National Coordinator of the coalition, led the demonstration and called on Tinubu to endorse local refineries, including Dangote’s, to reduce Nigeria’s dependency on fuel imports. “President Tinubu must act swiftly to revamp NNPCL and remove officials who collaborate with oil cabals to keep our refineries down,” Pathfinder asserted.
In their protest letter, the coalition urged Tinubu to implement a National Executive Council resolution directing NNPCL to supply crude oil to Dangote Refinery in naira, aiming to reduce fuel prices for Nigerians. “This protest is our way of showing our frustration with the neglect of Port Harcourt and Warri refineries,” Pathfinder added. “The NNPCL’s collusion with certain cabals, profiting billions from fuel imports, must end.”
The group also alleged that an oil cabal is obstructing efforts to end fuel imports, accusing NNPCL’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, of failing to reactivate the refineries while favoring import-dependent interests. “It’s concerning that Kyari appears to support import-driven cabals while ignoring the refineries’ potential to fuel local economies,” they said, commending Alhaji Aliko Dangote’s 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery as a step toward energy independence.
Pathfinder further emphasized that reactivating local refineries could spur job creation, stabilize the economy, and attract investment. “The persistent reliance on fuel imports is discouraging investors and denying young Nigerians employment,” he remarked, citing reports of NNPCL spending over N11.3 trillion on unsuccessful maintenance from 2010 to 2018, and an unproductive $1.5 billion loan for Port Harcourt’s rehabilitation in 2021.
In conclusion, the coalition demanded Tinubu sack Mele Kyari within 21 days, accusing him of incompetence and mismanagement.
