The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria has commended the Federal Government for the smooth take-off of the Port Harcourt refinery after work was completed.
According to a statement released by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the refinery commenced operation on Tuesday, and products are expected to be loaded before Friday.
Briefing reporters on Tuesday at the end of its National Executive Council meeting in Abuja, President of TUC, Festus Osifo, urged the government to expedite action on the remaining refineries.
Osifo said Port Harcourt, Warri, Kaduna, and the new PH refineries have the capacity to produce 400, 000 barrels of crude oil per day.
The TUC president said that when these refineries come on stream, they will eliminate monopoly and bring a system of competition into the downstream sector of the oil and gas industry.
Osifo said, “We have heard reports that the Port Harcourt refinery has resumed processing crude, but we are working to validate this claim.
“But beyond the old Port Harcourt Refinery, we want the government to also revisit or expedite work in other refineries. Warri refineries, Kaduna refineries, and the new PH Refineries. Those four refineries combined are holding close to 400,000 barrels of crude production per day.
“So we call on the government to expedite action on all these refineries. This is because it will eliminate monopoly and it will bring a system of competition into the downstream sector of the oil and gas industry.”
Punch
