The House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Midstream) will meet on Thursday to investigate the state of Nigeria’s four refineries.
The committee chairman, Henry Okojie, said this follows recent confusion over the refineries’ condition after Aliko Dangote said they may never work again.
Nigerians had earlier celebrated the news that the Port Harcourt refinery had resumed production, a claim made by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited under its former head Mele Kyari.
However, Dangote’s comments raised fresh doubts. Adding to this, the current NNPCL boss, Bayo Ojulari, had hinted that the refineries might be sold because they are no longer competitive.
Speaking to PUNCH Online, Okojie said, “The committee will meet this week, hopefully by Thursday, to consider all issues before us concerning the state of the refineries. There are reports that over 18 billion dollars has been spent on turnaround maintenance. If this is the case, why are they not working? If selling them is a better option, we will know.”
Okojie asked Nigerians to be patient and warned against turning the matter into politics. He stressed that the federal government has not decided to sell the refineries yet.
“The President Bola Tinubu-led government has not said it is selling off the refineries. The NNPCL GCEO merely said sale might be an option,” he said.
He added that the committee will assist the President in making the best decision for Nigerians.
“Mr President has taken steps for the betterment of Nigerians since his inauguration in 2023. We saw what he did with the tax reform initiatives. In the same vein, he will take a broader look at the state of the refineries and make the right call,” Okojie said.
