Public Voices Opinions Online: Marketers Call Out NNPC, Urge Tinubu To Sell Port Harcourt Refinery

The Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has urged President Bola Tinubu to privatize the Port Harcourt Refinery, citing inefficiency, corruption, and favoritism under the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.

In a statement issued Wednesday by its spokesperson, Joseph Obele, PETROAN criticized the NNPC’s track record, arguing that privatizing the refinery would lead to better accountability, increased productivity, global competitiveness, job creation, and improved fuel supply.

Obele condemned the decision to retain Port Harcourt Refinery under NNPC’s control while planning to sell the Warri and Kaduna refineries, saying the move ignores the NNPC’s history of mismanagement.

“The benefits of privatization far outweigh the drawbacks and would serve both the host community and the nation,” he said, adding that private investors would receive full support from the host community.

The call for privatization comes shortly after NNPCL’s Group CEO, Bayo Ojulari, announced during a company-wide town hall meeting that the Port Harcourt Refining Company would not be sold, ending recent speculation about its fate.