In its bid to reduce fuel importation in the foreseeable future, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has said that nine companies have submitted bids for the co-location of new refineries within the complexes of its three existing refineries in Kaduna, Warri and Port Harcourt.
This is just at the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has clarified that he never informed the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) last Tuesday that the fuel shortages will end between April 5 and 7, but assured in a phone conversation that concrete measures had but put in place to end them soon.
NNPC said in a statement by its spokesperson, Mr. Garuba Deen Mohammed, that the open bid exercise was a demonstration of the determination of the federal government and NNPC to increase the nation’s refining capacity from 445,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 650,000bpd. It quoted its chief operating officer (COO) of refineries, Mr. Anibo Kragha as making this disclosure when the technical bids of the companies were opened in Abuja.
According to the statement, a technical evaluation committee has been set up to study the bids and announce winners as soon as possible. It said the exercise was witnessed by representatives of the Nigerian Extractives Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).
Kragha, according to the statement, said the corporation was committed to boosting the nation’s refining capacity which in turn would end the perennial fuel shortages in the country.
He said: “The aim is to leverage on the existing facilities to fast track the take off of the refineries as soon as possible.”
Also, Kachikwu has waded into the lingering crisis in the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) with the aim of ending the fuel shortages in the country. According to NNPC, Kachikwu invited all stakeholders within the IPMAN hierarchy to his office where he raised a 14-man committee to resolve the lingering leadership crisis in the association.
He told them that IPMAN was a critical stakeholder in the downstream petroleum sector and as such should be united. Members of the 14-man reconciliation committee set up by Kachikwu include Danladi Pasali, Dibu Aderigbe, Abubakar Maigandi, Hemmed Fashola, Leo Nkememe, Chukwudi Fred Ezinwa and Chief Ben Odjugo.
Others are Andrew Ashiga, Igwe Ezekwesili Maduaguna, Emma Ihedigbo, M. A. Shettima, Augustine Erhabor, Prince I. Dunuje and Lawson Ngoa.
They are expected to help the government monitor the distribution of petrol to their members as well as the protection of pipeline facilities in the country.
Source
THISDAY
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