Atiku Abubakar, the People Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections, has called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to provide a detailed explanation to Nigerians regarding the anticipated benefits of privatizing the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC)....CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
The NNPCL had previously invited private companies to submit applications for the maintenance and operation of the PHRC. This move, as reported by SaharaReporters on Monday, was aimed at enhancing dependability and sustainability to meet the country’s fuel supply and energy security needs.
Atiku Abubakar, in a statement posted on his platform on Tuesday, expressed his concerns about the decision, suggesting that selling the refinery outright would have been a more prudent move to avoid accumulating debt. He highlighted the sequence of events leading up to this point, criticizing the government’s handling of the refineries.
The former Vice President emphasized his long-standing advocacy for comprehensive reforms in Nigeria’s oil sector, as outlined in “The Atiku Plan” (2018) and “My Covenant With Nigerians” (2022). Atiku asserted that his calls for breaking the government’s monopoly in infrastructure sectors, including refineries, were ignored by the current administration.
He raised questions about the government’s previous actions, such as leaving the refineries idle for years while paying substantial staff salaries and securing a $1.5 billion loan for rehabilitation. Atiku expressed skepticism about the recent decision to privatize the rehabilitated refinery for operation and maintenance.
“The @nnpclimited must explain to the satisfaction of Nigerians what benefits its newly discovered approach to privatization will confer on Nigeria and Nigerians,” Atiku insisted in his statement…CONTINUE READING>>
