The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has declined to offer
transaction details on the planned sale of Nigeria's three major
refineries which have operated sub-optimally for over a decade and has
compelled Nigeria to import petroleum products to meet its energy needs.
Following recent disclosure in an interview by the Minister of
Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, that the refineries
comprising the Kaduna, Warri and Portharcourt refineries with a combined
installed capacity of 445,000 barrels per day (bpd) would be
privatised.
All efforts to glean accurate information as regards the planned sale
from the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Andrew Yakubu, yesterday
yielded no result.
Yakubu, who in Abuja inaugurated a state-of-the-art hydraulic fire and
rescue engine acquired by NNPC to foster its Health, Safety and
Environment (HSE) compliance obligation in the oil and gas industry,
refused to respond to reporters’ questions on the privatisation.
When asked to provide clarifications on the sale, Yakubu simply turned
and walked away from reporters, thus, forestalling further opportunities
for such clarification from him.
He had, however, earlier launched the rescue machine which, he said,
was necessary given the high risk environment in which the corporation
undertakes its operations.
Speaking during the unveiling and demonstration of the fire rescue
engine, Yakubu stated that with technology advancing by the day and the
corporation building sophisticated structures to carry out its oil and
gas exploration activities, the need to prioritise its HSE efforts
cannot be overemphasised.
He said: "It is our commitment to ensure the best HSE practice which
includes human capacity, state of the art equipment such as this, to
ensure that we are combat ready at any time to handle emergency because
we are working in a high risk environment."
The event, which was part of the corporation’s 2013 HSE week with the
theme: "Overcoming HSE Challenges in NNPC," also saw the presentation of
awards to the best HSE compliant staff and bank within the NNPC.
Yakubu informed that the facility which was capable of rescuing
emergency victims from over 11 storey building, would not be limited to
the NNPC alone.
"We do not pray for emergency, but when it comes, of course we are
available to support the fire service to combat the emergency situation
as part of our corporate social responsibility," he said.
He also spoke on the availability of petroleum products in the country
especially with consideration to the upcoming Christmas season, stating
that NNPC was adequately prepared to make sure that product supplies to
the market and consumers were not hindered.
"We are very prepared, we have more than enough stock, as we speak we
have over 35 days stock and between now and Christmas even if we do not
bring at all, we have more than enough to go round the country. Let me
seize this opportunity to call on all Nigerians not to panic," Yakubu
noted.
