NNPCL’s And The Portharcourt Show — Olusegun Ajulo

It was back in 2010, that Jenji Kohan created a television comedy, later turned into drama, series which reflects the experience of Piper Kerman’s memoir revealing her experience at the PCI Danbury Minimum Security Prison.

The series gained such notability of popularity because of it’s idiomatic application more than its reformative implications.

It’s idiomatic application simply underpins the fact that a certain thing is what is in vogue.

The old Port Harcourt refinery and the production of fuel, has become the new orange is a new black. The more you see but the less you understand. Especially with the highly orchestrated and televised guided tour of machineries and upgraded equipment recently.

The cycle of stunts, repetitive falsehood and deception has become a notoriety of fashion for the NNPCL.

Not only are Nigerians treated to new ‘stories by moonlight’ daily, but the company have decided to play it rough this time. They are determined to do it blatantly, playing on the sensibilities of Nigerians, obviously believing that Nigerians are gullible people who believe anything, especially shows from Nollywood, no this time NNPCLYWOOD.

How else can one explain such total disregard to sincerity and transparency?

NNPCL is saying the refinery is now working. But we are afraid, because a trip to the refinery does not show anything close to that.

Who is fooling who? Is someone fooling Kyari? Or is Kyari fooling someone?

The repeated failure of the refinery to produce even a single litre of fuel suggest a clear and incontrovertible indication that the refinery is not working.

Experts in the sector have revealed that the prospect of the Port Harcourt Refinery running at its nameplate capacity is in doubt as it would at best reach 40 percent to 50 percent of capacity but NNPCL is telling us a different story of running at something above 70 percent.

They also believe that this is more so because Nigerian National Petroleum (NNPC) Limited, did not as much as carry out any applicable construction of any sort in the last 30 years between 1990 and 2020, and does not posses the requisite manpower and competencies for such operations owing to the fact that there has been manpower wastages, and as such several organisational knowledge has certainly been lost within this period.

It is even more clearer that the refinery is not working based on the fact the Kyari himself stated that what is envisaged at the refinery is blending and not refining. That is after gulping millions of dollars. This statement underscores the fact that the establishment was out on a voyage of deception.

Few months ago, Nigerians where treated to the fact that the refinery has been brought back to life. A week later the company was battling to save it’s face, and using all conceivable means, including a guided tour of machineries and upgraded equipment, with none of those on the tour confirming they saw a single litre of fuel dispensed, just to convince Nigerians that the refinery was back on production.

This indeed is a troubling grand deception and an insult on the sensibilities of the Nigeria public.

Just when Nigerians think they know where the NNPCL is going, it changes its trajectory, upping the ante of deception by finding another explanation – what a shame!

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But this is indeed typical of the NNPCL under Kyari – a perpetual, habitual turning round and round, in a circle without an exit point.

This refinery is vital for energy security, job creation, and economic independence, but Kyari is deliberately determined to ensure that these benefits and more, elude Nigerians.

If the refinery is working, where is the fuel? Fuels are not like air that cannot be seen. Fuels are tangible, usable and inhale-able objects.

Nigerians deserve the truth. They want to see a refinery that dispenses fuel. Not the one whose fuel is only in the mouth and papers of Kyari’s media propagandist.

Aside the experts who have clearly stated that the refinery lacks both the human and material capacity to function as announced, a community leader and an eye witness, who is ordinarily passionate about the take off of the refinery, debunked the fact that the Port Harcourt refinery, and by extension, the Port Harcourt depot, is operational.

He unequivocally stated that while the community was happy because of the attempt by the NNPCL, because the refinery is the mainstay of the Alesa community’s economy, as the economic activities emanating from the operations of these depots mean a lot to them, he does not think there is cause for celebration yet because what is in the media space is different from what is on the ground.

He emphasized that as a community person, the guided tour and dramatization were all mere fluke.

The operations at the old refinery are merely skeletal with some units of the refinery up and running, while the entire unit of the old refinery is not functional.

It is clear that owing to pressure and the huge disbursement for the overhaul of the refinery, there was the need to

compel a narrative which will make Nigerians believe that the huge amount was not embezzled hence the dramatization and televising.

It is also fact that the Old Port Harcourt refinery is built with its utilities, different from the new complex. The tank farm that is servicing the Old Port Harcourt refinery has a different loading gantry at the depot.

The party and televising was held at the new loading gantry that is directly connected to the new refinery. And so, how does that work? It is impossible.

Truth is the feedstock storage facility for the old refinery had some stock, old stock that has been there for over three years.

And so what they did was to release that stock, and then load six trucks, which was televised for Nigerians as the production from the old refinery. This is a grand foolery.

It is on record that only six trucks were used to calibrate the new loading gantry and the product was not a new refined product from the old refinery.

Also since its much publicized takeoff, NNPCL only dispatched six trucks, relying solely on the existing stock at the Port Harcourt Refinery.

Nigerians are not gullible but know that the refinery is not producing 1.4 million barrels of litres of petrol per day.

We urged the NNPCL to stop giving out false information to deceive Nigerians.

It is also ridiculous to think that a refinery that is automated can only load four trucks of product for a whole day.

Starting from 7 am till about 8 pm of the next day.

How can you have a truck under a bay for more than six hours under an automated system? Even in those years of manual loading system, It took less than 45 minutes, so how comes an automated system, takes more than four hours.

Equally ridiculous is the claim that the refinery is operating at the capacity of 70 per cent but can only load four trucks for a whole day, one truck staying under the loading gantry for more than six to seven hours. This is deceit taken too far and a shame.

Why is Kyari deceiving Nigerians? 

Nigerians are told that the facility refines with products derived from Naphtha. Nigerians want to know where they are getting it from.

Nigerians are interested in knowing about NNPCL distillation units. This is because they want to understand the options that NNPCL is using, either getting Naphtha from somewhere, including import, which means the refinery has been turned into a blending plant, or they have fired on the distillation unit, introduced crude oil and have produced Naphtha.

Nigerians urge the NNPCL to tell them where its feedstock (crude oil) is procured from and the company supplying it.

Common sense of logic demands that when any company produces a product regardless of the type or time, whether it is biscuit or toilet rolls. The first thing to do immediately after production is to send them to the market out to the customers at a fixed price. Unfortunately, NNPCL has not sent out its product several months after they claimed to have commenced production.

Where then is the fuel supplied by NNPCL?

The refinery is simply not working and Kyari and his co-travelers know that.

Nigerians and indeed everyone is praying that the refinery should work.

But it is certain that at the moment the refinery is not working.

Ajulo wrote this piece from Port Harcourt.