Fix Port Harcourt Refinery or resign

Mkpoikana Udoma

Port Harcourt — The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, has issued a stark ultimatum to the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, urging him to fix the Port Harcourt Refinery without delay or step down.

The Eastern Zonal Secretary of IPMAN, Comr. Emmanuel Inimgba, accused the NNPCL leadership of “unprofessional handling” of the $1.5 billion refinery rehabilitation.

Inimgba, lamented that the plant shut down on May 24, 2025 for scheduled 30-day repairs, has remained idle more than 80 days later with “no significant activity or commitment” under the new GCEO.

“The shutdown has thrown thousands into unemployment, from tanker drivers and NUPENG members to PETROAN staff, IPMAN workers, and host community members.

“If the GCEO is unable to fix the Port Harcourt Refinery or show commitment to its rehabilitation, stakeholders and host communities will have no option but to call on President Tinubu to replace him.”

He warned that the prolonged closure was crippling local economies, reducing fuel supply, and undermining energy security.

“Fixing the refinery would create jobs, boost the economy, improve distribution, increase government revenue, and enhance living standards for host communities,” he stressed.

Inimgba alleged that “credible sources indicate contractors have withdrawn from the site due to lack of funds” and claimed that Ojulari has not visited the refinery in four months.

While affirming IPMAN’s backing for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reform agenda, he cautioned that the GCEO’s inaction could undermine the president’s efforts. “We will not allow the GCEO’s actions to sabotage the president’s reforms,” he said.

The Port Harcourt Refinery, once a key pillar in Nigeria’s fuel supply chain, has undergone protracted rehabilitation, with repeated missed deadlines raising public concern about accountability and execution.