From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Following the successful revival of the operations of Warri Refinery in Delta State, a notable Northern group, Arewa Think Tank (ATT), has congratulated the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), saying it is a testament that the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu is on the right track.
ATT specifically congratulated the Chairman of the Board of NNPCL, Pius Akinyelure, for showing leadership and raising the bar of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
This was contained in a press statement on Thursday by the convener of Arewa Think Tank, Muhammad Alhaji Yakubu.
According to the statement, “Arewa Think Tank wants to advise that President Tinubu should direct the NNPCL to also restart the operations at Kaduna Refinery and the 150,000 (bpd) second refinery in Port Harcourt to consolidate Nigeria’s position as a global energy provider.
“We are indeed excited at the successful revival of the Warri Refinery in Delta State, and we make bold to say that President Tinubu is walking the talk of his administration to make life better for the citizens of this country.
“The Warri Refinery, now functioning at 60% of its 125,000 barrels per day capacity, marks a major step in reviving Nigeria’s oil refining sector, which has struggled with years of inactivity.
“This development will go a long way in increasing local refining to reduce dependence on fuel imports and position Nigeria as a key player in Africa’s energy landscape.
“It is unfortunate that the rehabilitation efforts for Nigeria’s four state-owned refineries began during President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, with contracts awarded for their overhaul without much impact on oil production in the country.
“However, we are happy that the workaholic President Tinubu has reaffirmed his commitment to seeing these projects through, directing NNPCL to ensure timely completion of ongoing work on the second Port Harcourt Refinery and the Kaduna Refinery.
“The restart of Warri Refinery brings joy and gladness to us at Arewa Think Tank and indeed all Nigerians. This will further strengthen the hope and confidence of Nigerians for a greater and better future that Tinubu promised.
“This development is a remarkable way to end the year following the feat recorded earlier with the old Port Harcourt Refinery following Tinubu’s directive that all the four refineries should be restored to good working conditions.
“We want to also congratulate Mele Kyari and his team at NNPCL for working hard to restore our national pride and make Nigeria a hub for crude oil refining in Africa,” the statement said.