News
‘PH Refinery Repairs’ll Boost Revenue’

The Managing Director of the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), Ahmed Dikko, has said that the planned rehabilitation of the refinery would ensure increased revenue and energy sufficiency in the nation.
Dikko made the remark in his presentation during the visit of the National Assembly Joint Committee on Petroleum, led by its Chairman, Sen. Sabo Nakudu, to the company in Eleme, Rivers on Wednesday.
He said that the project, which is expected to commence in two months’ time, would prevent unplanned shutdown as well as increase the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) when completed.
Other benefits he said included local production of Aviation Turbine Kero and reduction in foreign exchange demand through reduced importation of petroleum products.
Dikko explained that the company comprised of the old Port Harcourt Refinery (OPHR) and the New Port Harcourt Refinery (NPHR) with a combined installed capacity of 210,000 barrels per day (bpd).
He further explained that the OPHR was built in 1965 with initial installed capacity of 35,000bpd and “debottlenecked” to 60,000 bpd in 1972.
Dikko said that the NPHR was commissioned in 1989 with installed capacity of 250,000 bpd but regretted that the refineries’ effective capacity utilisation reduced due to mechanical integrity failure of the capacity assets as a result of delayed Turn-Around Maintenance (TAM).
According to him, statutorily, TAM is to be carried out every other 24 or 26 months, adding that PHRC has undergone TAM three time; 1992, 1994 and 2000 and a major maintenance intervention in 2015.
“Efforts to carry out successive TAMs failed and was not successful due to several challenges.
“This long delay in conducting TAM has created a negative impact on the nation’s local refining capacity which includes loss of revenue, decrease in foreign exchange,” he said.
Others are a significant increase in importation of refined petroleum products to meet domestic demand and decrease in GDP.
The managing director explained that due to the challenge, the Federal government approved the NNPC’s request to rehabilitate the refineries using Original Refinery Builders (ORB).
He said that NNPC also in 2011 secured a waiver from Bureau of Public Procurement to use Japanese Gasoline Corporation, the ORB as a single bidder for the TAM but was later changed to selective tendering due to Tecnimont inspection report.
“Based on the new strategy, 30 international EPC contractors were selected for bidding, but expression of interest was extended to selected contractors, only 10 responded.”
He said out of the 10, seven were prequalified, two declined and one opted for sub-contracting category.
He, however, said that the project was expected to be completed in 2023.
Earlier in his remark, Nakudu said they were in the refinery “to see what is going on and what needs to be done, what needs to be adjusted so that we can capture all segment of the oil industry.”
News
I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.