By Kolawole Ojebisi
The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has advised the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited (NNPCL) to ensure prompt and timely maintenance of the Port-Harcourt refinery, stressing that delay may lead to serious challenges.
This is as the association urged the NNPCL to adhere to the scheduled 30-day repair timeline of the refinery.
This is contained in a statement issued on Sunday by PETROAN’s spokesperson, Joseph Obele.
According to the statement the association’s president, Billy Gillis-Harry, maintained that quick repairs will minimise petroleum products supply disruptions.
“PETROAN fears that the 30-day schedule might not be realistic due to usual bottlenecks, potentially leading to further delays and exacerbating supply challenges,” Obele said.
“The association is worried that delays in the old refinery’s 30-day rehabilitation schedule may worsen economic hardship for millions of Nigerians.”
Highlighting the steps thst should be taken to forestall challenges, PETROAN said:
“Timely Completion: PETROAN demands that NNPCL complete the repair before existing stocks run dry to prevent market monopolisation and ensure a stable supply of petroleum products.
“Preventing Monopoly: Completing the repair on time will help maintain competition in the market, benefiting consumers and the economy.
“Task Force Setup: PETROAN recommends that the Honourable Minister of Petroleum sets up a task force comprising all Petroleum Industry Stakeholders Forum to monitor the 30-day repairs.
“Weekly Progress Briefs: The task force should brief Nigerians on the job progress every weekend to ensure transparency and accountability in achieving the 30-day repair schedule.”
The spokesperson added that PETROAN recommends that payments to contractors handling the repairs be made promptly to avoid delays and ensure the project stays on track.
Recall that the NNPC announced the shutdown of Port-Harcourt refinery on Saturday and said the scheduled maintenance and sustainability assessment would begin on May 24 and last for 30 days.
