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$287m Was Saved From PH Refinery’s TAM – Kachikwu

Published

11 years ago

September 4, 2015

The Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, has said Nigeria has saved over $287 million from the turnaround maintenance (TAM) of the Port Harcourt Refinery, Eleme.
Kachikwu made the disclosure shortly after an inspection tour of the refinery..
He said foreign companies had requested to carry out the TAM at a cost of $297 million but the NNPC used its manpower and local oil servicing firms to achieve the maintenance at the cost of less than $10 million.
He said: “The asking price by the original refinery builder was $297 million. The disaster with that was that they were not professionals and they were not ready to give us guarantees. What we have done so far is under $10 million.
“Obviously, had we consistently done this overtime, we would not have the sort of nightmare that we have had today. Whatever it takes, we are going to raise money; we are going to raise some vessels to give them what they need to run this place and run it efficiently.”
He said he was not ready to apportion blames for the failure to carry out TAM on the refinery for 25 years, but stressed that he was looking forward to getting solution for the nation’s oil industry.
He expressed the desire of the federal government to ensure that the nation’s refineries operate at their optimum capacity, insisting that the nation would continue to import refined products as the refineries cannot meet local demand even if they work at their installed capacities.
“We said that we like to tie the delivery of crude to the refinery to make sure the FCC (Fluid Catalytic Cracking) Unit work, otherwise, we will be wasting very vital resource. Kaduna like you know came up and we had a little bit of hiccups yesterday, but it is still being worked on and it should come back on stream quickly. Port Harcourt is getting ready to get their FCC powered.
“We’ve got to realise that these are refineries that have not been given serious maintenance for over 15 to 18 years and what I saw today was quite amazing with a lot of energy from people who are locally based here doing their best to find an alternative solution.
“Otherwise, there would have been a very long gestation period in ordering parts for these refineries. What is important is that people are motivated and energised; they are focussed. They understand my timelines that we need to get these things to work; we need to support them whichever way we can.
“I am impressed with the energy and the effort that is going on there; I am impressed with the momentum. I think that if we continue on this part, we should see the refineries working near full blast very soon. Until then, we are going to manage our resources, how we deliver crude and what we need to do in terms of reducing contractual times to enable them get the parts they need to get the refineries working. I am happy with what I saw today; we still have some ways to go, but we are on the right part,” he said.
On the timeline for the refineries to go full blast, Kachikwu said: “From what I see, within the next 60 days, we should at least get two out of the three FCCs working. There are still some components that need to be tinkered with here and there and there would be stoppages while you are doing that? Certainly.
“But in a full capacity, they will be doing something like 16 million to 20 million litres of PMS. Our national consumption is within the range of between 30 million and 40 million litres; still to be determined. In their 40 per cent to 50 per cent capacity, we are probably looking at half of that. So, we will always continue to import some element of that.
“If we continue on this chain and if I can get them every month to have incremental values; we get at six, then we get at eight, then we get at 10, and set ourselves a 90-day spectrum to see where we are, that will be progress. Anything that I produce locally and don’t have to import is a plus.”
He ruled out any plan by the federal government to sell off the refineries, stating that instead, government might consider joint ventures.
“There will never be a plan to sell the refineries. There might be a plan to have joint venture investors, but that is going to depend on how the refineries are going to work on their own. Obviously, we are going to be looking at all options to make the refineries 100 per cent efficient,” he said.
In terms of crude supply, he said: “You know we have cancelled the crude supply by vessel contracts.
We are going to use some stop-gap measures to use our own internal supplies from now till when the new contracts are looked at.
“The intent is to have the pipelines work. I am very focused on the pipelines; it is no longer good enough excuse that people are sabotaging the pipelines. We have got to deal with those sabotages and we are going to go extremely tough on this.
“If we can make the pipelines work, we get crude supply and get higher volumes easier. We are on the verge of bringing in army corps of engineers to help with pipeline protection. We should be looking at both aerial surveys by helicopters, surveys by the military and obviously naval surveys as long as we can.
“But we have to also engage the communities because at the end of the day, how all these we have planned are going to be functional will depend on how well we relate with the communities. Should the pipelines work, there is no alternative to it.”
On Warri Refinery that is shut down, Kachikwu said: “When you have a 30-year-old car, you are going to continue to shut it and repair and make it work. It is shut down, we are going to repair it and it is going to come back on stream. At some point, investments would be required to put in a sort of change processes.
“What our engineers are doing locally is fabricating as much as they can the replacement tools. We are working on it and the encouraging thing is not whether it is shut down; it is whether our guys are ready to get it up.
“On whether we can meet all our local production needs, probably not until we begin to put new refineries in place in addition to what we have. But if I can get them to near 100 per cent capacity for each of them, I would have taken away 50 per cent of the importation dynamics in this country. And that is what the focus should be.
“So, I am as frustrated as Nigerians are in terms of up, down, get up and shut down and all that stuff. This is the price you pay when you do not invest in turnarounds for so long a time.”
He however said he would not allow scarcity of petroleum products in the country.
“I will import as much as I need. I will try and refine as much as I can and I will keep looking at those comparative dynamics and see where I land. I certainly would hope that someday in my tenure, we would stop importing. But it is not going to happen on a 100 per cent basis unless you build new refineries,” he said.
Kachikwu further disclosed his intention to break into three the corporation’s subsidiary, the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC), in continuation of the ongoing restructuring exercise.
NNPC in a statement from its Group General Manager Public Affairs, Ohi Alegbe, in Abuja stated that the move is part of a bid to ensure lean, efficient and profitable operations at the corporation.
The statement quoted Kachikwu to have made this disclosure during his official tour of the Okrika Jetty and the Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited (PHRC).
Kachikwu, the statement explained, noted that the PPMC would be split into a pipelines company that would focus primarily on the maintenance of the over 5,000 kilometres pipelines of the corporation, a storage company that would maintain all the over 23 depots and a products marketing company that would market and sell petroleum products.
He said that the move would ensure that the right set of skills are rightly positioned and the number of leakages in terms of pipelines break and products loss are reduced to the barest minimum.

News

Odu Urges Collaboration Among Stakeholders To Improve Health Service Delivery In Rivers

Published

3 days ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Odu, has called for renewed commitment, transparency, and collaboration among stakeholders in the health sector in the State.

The deputy governor particularly urged synergy between the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP) and the Primary Health Care Management Board towards improved healthcare delivery in the State.

?Prof. Odu made this call during the 2026 First Quarter Review Meeting of the Task Force on Primary Health Care at the Government House, Port Harcourt, on Wednesday.

?She stressed the importance of honesty and urged all parties to be truthful and open in addressing challenges within the system.

?According to her, transparency remains critical to identifying and resolving underlying issues affecting healthcare delivery, noting that “if we are not truthful, we will not cure the disease, but merely cover it up.”

The deputy governor recounted a personal experience at a Primary Health Center where a patient, despite being duly registered under the RIVCIPP scheme with completed biometric capture, was still asked to make payment for services.

According to her, intervention by relevant authorities later confirmed the patient’s eligibility, exposing a communication gap between the scheme and healthcare providers.

Odu warned that such incidents could discourage community members from enrolling in the scheme, thereby undermining its objectives.

“When this happens, we are disenfranchising our people. The message that goes back to the community is that even when you register, you are still made to pay,” she stressed.

?While commending the leadership and staff of the Primary Health Care Management Board, Ministry of Health, Development Partners as well as other supporting units, for their efforts, ty deputy governor stressed that performance should not lead to complacency.

She urged stakeholders to continuously strive for improvement, raise standards, and leave lasting positive impacts within the system.

News

You Can Now Print Your Exam Slips, JAMB Tells 2026 UTME Candidates

Published

3 days ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the opening of examination slip printing for candidates registered for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

JAMB made the announcement yesterday, urging candidates to visit its website to download their slips ahead of the examination.

“Examination Slip Printing is now available. The slip contains details of the venue, date and time of your examination and gives you access to the examination hall,” the board said.

Candidates are to visit jamb.gov.ng and click on “2026 Slip Printing” to print their slips.

The development comes after JAMB dismissed a viral press release falsely claiming the examination had been postponed.

The board described the notice as “malicious and fake” and urged candidates to disregard it.

The 2026 UTME is scheduled to hold from Thursday, April 16, to Saturday, April 25, 2026.

The examination follows a mock test conducted on Saturday, March 28, which recorded technical difficulties at some Computer-Based Test centres.

Of the 224,597 candidates who registered for the mock, 152,586 sat for the test across 989 CBT centres nationwide.

JAMB said over 20 centres were delisted for technical inadequacies.

The board also warned candidates against fraudsters on WhatsApp claiming to facilitate score inflation, describing such claims as “false and criminal”, and threatening cancellation of registration or withholding of results for any candidate found involved.

Over two million candidates, according to JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, registered for this year’s UTME.

News

RSU Unveils Five-Year Strategic Dev Plan …Calls For Collective Commitment To Institutional Excellence

Published

3 days ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

In a decisive step towards redefining its future, the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, has formally unveiled its Third Five-Year (2026-2030) Strategic Development Plan.

The development plan is a comprehensive roadmap designed to strengthen the university’s position as a leading institution in Nigeria and beyond.

The unveiling took place during a high-level engagement with the Governing Council, Principal Officers and the university congregation, at the Convocation Arena, recently.

Delivering his remarks at the unveiling ceremony, the Pro-Chancellor of the university and Chairman of Council, Hon. Okey Wali, SAN, charged all members of the university community to align their activities with the strategic direction of the institution, emphasizing that the success of the plan depends on collective commitment.

He noted that the plan is not merely a document, but a working framework that requires discipline, accountability and unity of purpose.

According to the Pro-Chancellor, only through coordinated efforts from all stakeholders can the university fully realize its vision.

“I hereby invite the Visitor to the University, donor agencies, friends and well-wishers, and all stakeholders to support and fund the implementation of this strategic plan. We are confident that this plan will take RSU to greater heights in the comity of higher institutions,” he said.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, described the Strategic Development Plan as a document that would enhance the university’s corporate strengths, mitigate current weaknesses, leverage its corporate opportunities and address perceived existential threats.

“This Five-Year Strategic Plan sets out RSU’s goals, strategic objectives, expected outcomes and impact, including intervention strategies,” he said.

On his part, the Chairman of the Strategic Development Planning Committee, Prof. Emeritus Joseph A. Ajienka, noted that the 2026-2030 Strategic Development Plan represents a bold reaffirmation of the university’s founding ideals of excellence, creativity, innovation and inclusivity, aimed at positioning the institution to respond effectively to contemporary challenges in higher education.

Prof. Ajienka, who is also a member of the Governing Council, disclosed that the plan was developed through an extensive and inclusive consultative process, which he said reflects contributions from Faculties, Departments, Satellite Campuses and Administrative Units.

At its core, the plan seeks to advance the university’s vision of becoming a “unique and uncommon” institution that is structurally and philosophically oriented towards solving practical societal problems and ranking among the top ten universities in Nigeria.

The strategic framework identifies six key challenges confronting the university, including funding constraints, infrastructure deficits, limited research collaboration, and service delivery inefficiencies.

A statement by the university’s Acting Director, Corporate Affairs, Victor G. Banigo, further stated that the university has articulated four broad strategic goals supported by eight targeted objectives.

A central priority of the plan, according to him, is the strengthening of governance and administrative systems, alongside deliberate efforts to expand the university’s funding base. Others include enhanced alumni engagement, strategic partnerships and innovative fundraising initiatives aimed at ensuring long-term financial sustainability.

“Equally significant is the commitment to upgrading physical infrastructure across all campuses. Plans are underway to modernize lecture halls and laboratories, expand student accommodation, improve campus security and deploy advanced ICT systems to support teaching, learning and research.

“Recognizing that human capital is the backbone of institutional success, the university has placed strong emphasis on staff development, recruitment and productivity enhancement. Through targeted training programmes, mentorship initiatives and performance management systems, the plan aims to foster a highly skilled and motivated workforce.

“In addition, the university is poised to deepen its focus on research, innovation and entrepreneurship. By reviewing academic curricula, strengthening industry partnerships and establishing innovation incubation centers, Rivers State University seeks to translate research outputs into practical solutions that address societal needs and drive economic growth,” he said.

The PRO disclosed that the implementation of the strategic plan is projected at ?110 billion, reflecting the scale of transformation envisioned.

“While the university is committed to funding a significant portion internally, additional resources will be mobilized through government support, donor agencies, alumni contributions, and public-private partnerships.

“This multi-channel funding strategy aligns with the university’s broader goal of building a resilient and self-sustaining financial model capable of supporting long-term development,” he explained.

To ensure effective implementation, he said, “the plan incorporates a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation framework, complete with performance and impact indicators. A mid-term review is scheduled within the first two years to assess progress and make necessary adjustments.

“Furthermore, the establishment of a dedicated Strategic Planning Office will provide oversight, coordination and accountability in executing the plan across all units of the university.”

According to the statement, “As the university embarks on this transformative journey, the message from leadership is clear: the Strategic Development Plan is a collective mandate.

“For staff, students, alumni and stakeholders, it represents an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the growth and advancement of the institution. For the university, it is a pathway to consolidating its legacy while embracing innovation and global relevance.

“With a clear vision, defined priorities and a united community, Rivers State University stands poised to translate this strategic blueprint into measurable progress, advancing knowledge, empowering people and shaping the future of higher education in Nigeria.”