The Pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, has urged on the Federal Government to ensure the operationalization of the Port Harcourt Refinery by the December deadline.
The group led by Pa Reuben Fasoranti released a statement following its meeting in Akure, the capital of Ondo State this week.
The statement emphasized that meeting the December deadline for the operationalization of the Port Harcourt Refinery would help alleviate the adverse effects of removing the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petroleum, for Nigerians.
In August, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, made a commitment that the Port Harcourt refinery would resume operations by December. The minister stated that this initiative was in line with the government’s dedication to putting an end to the importation of petroleum products.
Following the elimination of the petrol subsidy in his inaugural address on May 29, 2023, the cost per liter of petrol escalated from N184 to well above N600 in numerous regions across the country.
As the December deadline has now arrived, Afenifere, through a statement endorsed by its spokesperson, Jare Ajayi, has called upon the administration of President Bola Tinubu to ensure the fulfillment of this timeframe.
Afenifere “urged the government to ensure that the deadlines given are adhered to”.
“For instance, the December deadline given for Port Harcourt Refinery to resume production should be met. This is to bring the cost of petroleum products down as the high costs of these products are contributing to the soaring prices of commodities and services in the country,” the statement partly read.