APC CHIEFTAIN URGES FOR MEASURES TO RIGHT THE WRONGS FOR OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE OF NNPCL
BY SAIDU ADAMU
A prominent Borno State Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Alhaji Yusuf Adamu has called on the Federal Government to beam its searchlights on the activities of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) with a view to addressing the persistent problem of the Oil and Gas sector of the country.
Alhaji Yusuf Adamu
In a statement he personally signed and issued to the press on Monday, the former state secretary of ANPP observed with sadness the persistent problem of Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) that has continued to defy all logics in the past 30 years.
“Nigeria is blessed with human and natural resources which oil is not exception. The discovery of oil popularly referred to Black Gold resulted to the relegation of the agricultural sector which was then the mainstay of the economy.
“This discovery further resulted to the setting up of oil refineries such as the Old and New Port Harcourt Refining Company with the total capacity of 210,000bpd, Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company with the capacity of 125,000bpd and Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company with the capacity of 110,000 bpd” he said.
Adamu said “These refineries can process gasoline, diesel, kerosene fuel oil among others and they were supported by over 20 depots across the country to ease fuel supply to different parts of Nigeria”.
He however observed that the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries which were very strategic in addressing the Oil needs of the populace, could not get the proper and honest attention it deserve despite their years of operations as there were no strategic plans for their expansion while poor Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) became a major challenge.
According to him, the problem kept expanding and became worsen because the TAM was later contracted out to a different company rather than the Japanese firm that earlier built them.
He explained that certain questions have remained unanswered in the crude oil issue, adding that Nigerians are not told what happened to other derivatives of crude oil?
“Why emphasising on PMS, AGO, DPK and making the mindset of Nigerians limited to these few products since crude oil has different derivatives which include the following in their various proportions:
Derivatives comprising 50 percent to 60 percent of crude oil produced
Gasoline (Petrol), Diesel Fuel, Jet Fuel, Fuel Oil (Heating Oil), Kerosene, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), while Petrochemical Derivatives that was used for Ethylene, Propylene, Butadiene, Benzene, Toluene, Xylene and Styrene were completely unaccounted for.
He further argued that in the aspect Lubricant Derivatives which is about five to 10 percent of crude oil that was used as raw material for Motor Oil, Greases, Transmission Fluid is likewise not properly accounted for.
Similarly, Adamu who is a retired Oil industry worker, pointed out that Nigerians are mostly not informed of the Industrial Derivatives of crude oil that served as raw material for Solvents, Adhesives, Sealants, Cosmetics and Pharmaceuticals just as they are not aware of what happened to the Agricultural Derivatives of the crude oil which were used for Pesticides, Fertilizers, Herbicides among several other byproducts of the crude.
“To re-echo the question let us know what is happening to these other derivatives?
“Why are they not disclosing them despite their economic values to the country’s revenue?
“Where are all these products going to? He queried.
He urged the Tinubu administration to revisit the depots of the NNPCL scattered across the country which have now been taken over by reptiles.
“They should salvage the over 5,000km pipeline as this could reduce cost, haulage, accidents among others” he said.
Proactively, according to the political Icon, the truth needs to be told since these are man-made issues which the government aught to know.
“Government cannot know everything; individuals with quality information need to inform the government” he explained, adding that it is not too late as the situation can be salvaged.
He argued that with the political will and right policies in place, the refineries can be put back to work and function as they did before when Nigeria exported refined oil to Chad, Niger and Cameroon among others.
