- Alleges Funds Diverted
By Abiola Olawale
Eminent Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has called on the Group Chief Executive Officer(GCEO)/Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, to give a full account of how $2.9billion purportedly earmarked for repairs of the refineries in Nigeria was spent.
The legal luminary said the demand was necessary given that since the funds were purportedly disbursed, only Port Harcourt Refinery has begun operation.
Falana also queried why the Port-Harcourt refinery was only blending 60,000 barrels of crude oil per day, while the 150,000bpd capacity is abandoned just as the Warri and Kaduna refineries, respectively have been abandoned.
Falana raised these concerns during his address at the commissioning of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) Tower, in Lagos State
He said: “I challenge NUPENG and PENGASSAN to tell Nigerians the actual state of the refineries. Only 60,000 barrels per day are being blended while NNPCL is silent on the remaining 150,000 bpd as well as on the Warri and Kaduna refineries.
“NNPCL has not explained to Nigerians why the $ 2.9 billion earmarked for the refineries has been diverted.”
This comes after the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), confirmed that the Port-Harcourt Refinery has begun production of petroleum products after several failed commencement deadlines.
A statement issued by Olufemi Soneye, the spokesperson of the NNPCL revealed that the refinery has kicked off at 60 per cent capacity.
He noted that the Refinery is processing 60,000 barrels per day of crude.
