Coalition backs Falana, demands explanation over $2.9bn approved for local refineries

A Coalition of Civil Society Groups has given amplification to the question raised by foremost Human Rights Lawyer, Chief Femi Falana (SAN), over the $2.9 billion released for the rehabilitation of the 3 local refineries in Nigeria.

The Coalition, made up of about 145 groups, are calling on the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Mallam Mele Kyari, to come out as requested by Falana, and explain to Nigerians how the funds were expended, and to explain further if there were diversion of funds as alleged by the legal icon.

It has been widely reported that the cumulative sum of $2.9 billion was at different times released to the NNPCL to rehabilitate the ailing Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries and put them to production of crude oil, in their original capacities or at best, increase the original standards.

Despite receiving the funds which translates to trillions in naira, the Warri and Kaduna refineries remain comatose, while the NNPCL open up the primary section of the Port Harcourt refinery two weeks for blending, leaving the bigger section with large capacity nonfunctioning.

The fiery Human Rights activist, Falana, irked by many conflicting reports from the Port Harcourt refinery and the inability of NNPCL to address Nigerians on the genuine state of things, confronted the management last week in Lagos, during the commissioning of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) Tower.

“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 $2.9billion earmarked for the refineries has been diverted,” Falana had said in his remarks.

In a statement on Wednesday by the Spokesperson of the Coalition, Otunba Olaosebikan Aremu, the CSOs wondered why Kyari or any of his delegated officials has not come out to answer to the questions raised by Falana in Lagos state, one week after.

“We have been waiting, with great expectations, that the Group Chief Executive Officer of the NNPCL, Mr. Mele Kyari or any of his agents would come out to reply the erudite Lawyer and Human Rights Activist, Chief Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, but to our greatest chagrin, no comment has gone out on this account.

“The NNPCL, as usual has kept us in the dark. Nigerians demand answers to the questions raised by their Lawyer. We want to know if the amount received by the NNPCL is actually $2.9 billion or it is more or less than that; we want to know what has happened to the funds, tell us if it was actually diverted as poised by Falana; if the money was properly utilised, come out and give Nigerians account of how it was expended.

“Come out and explain to us why the Warri and Kaduna refineries are still not working; tell us the dates we should expect their opening; tell us why the Port Harcourt refinery claimed to be in operation is still being regarded by stakeholders and host community as a “blending plant”; tell Nigerians why Port-Harcourt refinery was only blending 60,000 barrels of crude oil per day, while the 150,000bpd capacity is abandoned; tell us when to expect the secondary segment which has the larger capacity will be put to operations.

“Let Kyari also tell Nigerians why Port-Harcourt refinery was said to have shut down operation shortly after it was open, leaving only its non-petroleum unit running which is the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU); why did stakeholders and host community exclaimed that the CDU could only produce naphtha, kerosene and diesel but cannot produce the component which is needed for the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol?

“All these questions and many more are begging for answers from Kyari and his team. They should not play the usual dumb game by keeping quiet and we’ll forget it in days. They’re public officers and owe us accountability. They should also respect our President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and do the needful, because the complainants from the masses is massive and we don’t want anything that will discredit the good intentions of Mr. President”, the statement read.

The Coalition added that, members of the Civil Society Organisations shall not hesitate to occupy the streets of Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna, “if these questions are not attended to, and to the satisfaction of Nigerians, too”.