PH refinery sends warning to staff. threatens heavy sanctions as 30-day maintenance kicks off

• The Port-Harcourt refinery has been scheduled to acquisition a 30-day installation attraction to amended efficiency
• As the workout commences, the absorption has issued a stern informing to unit against immoderate interaction with the press
• Meanwhile, immoderate marketers importune that the scheduled attraction is simply a fraud and that the refinery has ne'er produced immoderate substance

Legit.ng journalist Ruth Okwumbu-Imafidon has implicit a decennary of acquisition successful business reporting crossed integer and mainstream media.

Port Harcourt Refinery has been officially unopen down for maintenance. Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) announced the shutdown connected Saturday, May 24, 2025.

The NNPC Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, said the attraction would past 1 period and beryllium done transparently.

The refinery, 1 of the 5 oldest successful Africa, lone resumed operations successful 2024 aft the NNPCL invested billions of naira successful its rehabilitation.

NNPCL's apical absorption would beryllium visiting the refinery during the maintenance. Photo credit: NNPCL
Source: Twitter

Just months aft the recommissioning, the refinery is scheduled to acquisition a 30-day maintenance play during which accumulation volition cease.

The NNPCL connection did not supply reasons for the maintenance, but added that it would see a sustainability assessment.

Refinery Management warns unit against property contact

Staff astatine the Port Harcourt Refining Company person been warned not to talk to the property astir the attraction exercise.

A memo sent from the absorption and signed by the Human Capital Management Lead for the Operations & Maintenance, PHRC Project, Leo Njoku, stressed that unit indispensable absorption connected their assigned tasks and debar speaking to journalists.

The memo, seen by the PUNCH, said that the absorption would beryllium monitoring the unit activities to way immoderate non-compliance and use sanctions accordingly.

It reads;

“There volition beryllium a batch of activities wrong and astir the PHRC premises. There volition beryllium a beingness of NNPCL apical management, authorities officials, people and media (broadcast) property radical visiting the works for updates connected the ongoing maintenance.“All unit are expected to enactment the following: Mind your business. No enactment with outer radical oregon giving accusation to the press. As authorities workers, it is against the Labour Law to prosecute the Pressmen successful interviews.“It attracts its sanctions. HCM volition beryllium monitoring unit activities during this period. There volition beryllium terrible disciplinary consequences for defaulters. Please beryllium guided and caput your concern and look your assigned task.”

Marketers importune Port Harcourt refinery did not nutrient immoderate fuel

Despite claims from the refinery that the works was operational until Friday, May 23, 2025, marketers importune that the refinery did not nutrient immoderate substance successful the past fewer months.

However, the spokesperson for the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria, Joseph Obele, affirmed that the refinery was operational until Thursday.

There volition beryllium stiff sanctions for unit who neglect to comply, the refinery absorption has warned. Photo credit: NNPCL
Source: Twitter

Obele expressed concerns that a prolonged shutdown could make proviso challenges, pb to substance scarcity, and occupation losses.

Amid these challenges, Dangote Refinery is inactive slashing substance prices and has reduced the authoritative pump terms for substance to astir N875 per litre in Lagos State.

Nigerians respond arsenic NNPC shuts down PH Refinery

In related news, Legit.ng reported that Nigerians connected societal media are reacting to the attraction coming aft billions person been spent connected rehabilitation.

Several insisted that they doubted whether the refinery ever worked a day, and called for the refinery to beryllium shut down for good and sold arsenic scrap metal.

One X user, @Cikings, insisted that idiosyncratic should beryllium jailed if a precocious rehabilitated refinery undergoes attraction without ever producing fuel.

PAY ATTENTION: Сheck retired quality that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” artifact connected the location leafage and enjoy!

Source: Legit.ng