Breaking: Port Harcourt Refining Company shut down due to protests by faction of Eleme community youths

Operational activities at Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) have suffered serious setbacks since Tuesday, July 16, 2024, as placard-carrying Eleme community youths grounded activities by denying staff and contractors access to the facility.

Eleme is one of the two host communities to PHRC.

A faction of Eleme community youths is protesting the alleged marginalization of the community by PHRC, claiming PHRC Ltd. has not fully complied with their demand for 40% representation of the total workforce for the ongoing rehabilitation project and the complete dissolution of the Joint Community Relations Committee (JCRC).

The JCRC is a committee comprising the PHRC and representatives from the two host communities – Eleme and Okrika, for the management of host community related matters.

Staff and contractors were all denied access to the facility, resulting in the complete shutdown of all activities within PHRC, both operational and rehabilitation activities, for two straight days.

This has impacted the ongoing plant restreaming activities. Also, the plant’s capacity to react to emergencies has been greatly diminished.

Engagement between PHRC management, government security agencies, and the Eleme youths has not yet yielded positive results.

At present, PHRC management is making frantic efforts to resolve the protest while ensuring that the situation does not degenerate into communal clashes.

Hundreds of people, mostly youths, had massed at the entrance of the refinery, preventing work from commencing at the facility in a bid to restart it for operation.

The disgruntled “army of saboteurs, who physically stopped workers from doing their jobs, have vowed that the refinery restart will not proceed as scheduled, a correspondent of Persecondnews in Port Harcourt reports.

Unless security forces, the Nigerian Army, the NSCDC, and the Nigeria Police Force are mobilized urgently, the facility may be colossally damaged and vandalized.

On Monday, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd., Mele Kyari, had told the world during an engagement with the National Assembly that the second phase of Port Harcourt refinery rehabilitation was almost complete and may begin production in two months.

But on Wednesday, a PSN correspondent observed a great deal of sabotage in the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd.’s efforts to restart the refinery.

A cow was slaughtered, and a mini-party was set up right in the middle of the road, all in a desperate bid to prevent access to the refinery, and ultimately scuttle any move to re-stream the refinery plant.

In the past few weeks, there have been orchestrated acts of vandalism within the plant to frustrate its restarting.

A video showed some vandals cutting cables and stealing equipment from the refinery overnight.

Click HERE to watch video

A patriotic Nigerian, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed shock about the wanton vandalism of a national asset, saying, “That NNPC is now a commercial entity should not mean infrastructure that is considered national assets, like the Port Harcourt refinery, should not be left unprotected!

“If that appears strange and shocking, then what comes next is up there in a basket full of shame and absurdity.

“Who is sponsoring those youths? What is their motive? Where is this brazen effrontery against the NNPC Ltd., and indeed, the Nigerian State, coming from?

“Nigerians said they want the refineries back at all costs. We said we wanted to stop petroleum products importation. We said we wish to see a country where an efficient supply of one of the most important commodities in the life of a Nigerian is not an issue. And then, like a bolt from the blues, we now have this situation!

“Nigerians must raise their voices against these acts of national sabotage and lack of patriotism, and fast too. Our refineries must work, and the government must act immediately to stop this unfortunate sabotage. Nigeria needs competition in the petroleum refining space if we are really serious about bringing down the price of PMS.’’

Another concerned citizen in his 60s, asked,“Who is after NNPC Ltd.?” Who wants to bring down Nigeria? Nigeria never ceases to come up with interesting developments. When you think you have seen it all in terms of absurdity, the next minute you are hit by another crazy incident! ‘’

“Security forces should urgently step in NOW as a stitch in time saves nine and saves the facility, the nation’s oil asset.’’