The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has dismissed claims made by Timothy Mgbere, a community leader from Alesa in Rivers State, regarding the operational status of the Port Harcourt Refinery.

Mgbere, in a televised interview on Thursday, accused the NNPCL of deceiving Nigerians by falsely stating that the refinery was processing crude oil.

In a statement released on Friday, NNPCL’s spokesperson Olufemi Soneye criticized Mgbere’s remarks, calling them a clear indication of a lack of understanding of refinery operations.

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Soneye expressed that the company would not have responded to Mgbere’s comments were it not necessary to clarify the facts.

Biztellers reports that Mgbere had alleged that the old Port Harcourt Refinery was operating “skeletally” and not producing Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

He further claimed that PMS was being trucked out from the gantry at the new Port Harcourt Refinery, as opposed to the old one, suggesting that the refinery was not fully operational.

However, Soneye strongly refuted these claims, explaining that both the old and new Port Harcourt Refineries have been integrated into a single operational unit with a common terminal for product load-out.

He emphasized that the refineries share utilities such as power and storage tanks, meaning that both can use the same gantry for loading products.

“His (Mgbere’s) claim that the PMS truck-out was done at the gantry of the new Port Harcourt Refinery as against the gantry of the old Port Harcourt Refinery betrays his scant knowledge of refinery operations,” Soneye said.

“The old and new Port Harcourt Refineries have since been integrated with one single terminal for product load-out.”

Soneye also pointed out a contradiction in Mgbere’s argument, particularly regarding his claim that the PMS trucked out from the new refinery was “old stock” from the old refinery.

“So, how did the purported ‘old stock’ move from the old Port Harcourt Refinery to the loading gantry of the new Port Harcourt Refinery?” Soneye asked, adding that it was a display of “ignorance on full display.”

On the current production capacity, Soneye stated that the Port Harcourt Refinery is operating at 90% of its nameplate capacity of 60,000 barrels per day, yielding approximately 1.4 million liters of PMS, along with other products such as diesel and kerosene.

In conclusion, Soneye urged the public to disregard Mgbere’s claims, describing them as “borne out of sheer mischief and blatant display of ignorance.”

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has refuted reports suggesting that the Port Harcourt refinery is operating at only 70 percent of its capacity, clarifying that it is currently functioning at 90 percent of its 60,000 barrels per day capacity.

The clarification follows statements from the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), which had on Thursday, claimed that the refinery was operating at 70 percent and was expected to increase to 90 percent.

However, in a statement released on Friday, NNPCL set the record straight, revealing that the refinery is already running at 90 percent throughput, producing products such as Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), diesel, and kerosene.

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“There are a number of other wild claims made by the man, one of which was that the refinery was producing 1.4 million barrels per day. The nameplate capacity of the refinery is 60,000 barrels of oil per day.

“It is currently producing at 90 percent throughput which translates to Straight-Run Gasoline (Naphta) blended into 1.4 million liters of PMS, aside from other products like diesel and kerosene,” NNPCL spokesperson Olufemi Soneye said.

The Port Harcourt refinery, located in Alesa Eleme, Rivers State, has been the subject of scrutiny in recent months as it gradually resumes full operations.

The old refinery is currently in operation, while the new refinery, with a much larger capacity of 200,000 barrels per day, is still undergoing rehabilitation. Both refineries share infrastructure within the same complex.

In addition to clarifying the refinery’s output, NNPCL also addressed claims made by Timothy Mgbere, a self-styled “community person,” who alleged that the refinery was only blending old stock and not truly refining crude.

Mgbere’s assertions included a claim that the truck-out of PMS earlier this week was a staged event.

NNPCL strongly rejected Mgbere’s allegations, calling them “a crass display of ignorance” and misleading to the public.

The company further explained that the old and new refineries share a common loading gantry, allowing products from both facilities to be distributed from the same point.

“We would have not bothered to reply to him considering that all his assertions were a crass display of ignorance… But the need to set the records straight has constrained us to clarify,” NNPCL stated in its response.

The company also pointed out the contradictions in Mgbere’s claims regarding the refinery’s operations, urging the public to disregard his statements as “obviously borne out of sheer mischief and blatant display of ignorance.”

NNPCL added by reaffirming its commitment to transparency and its efforts to increase Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity, ultimately reducing the country’s reliance on imported fuel.

Renowned investigative journalist Fisayo Soyombo has been detained by the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, sparking concerns about press freedom in Nigeria.

The Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), founded by Soyombo, confirmed his arrest on Friday, stating that the journalist has been in custody for three days.

“The 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt has been detaining our founder, Fisayo Soyombo, for 3 days running. Journalism is not a crime,” FIJ declared in a statement.

The detention is believed to be connected to Soyombo’s recent investigative reports alleging corruption within the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).

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Earlier this month, Soyombo accused customs officers of collaborating with Adeyemi Habeeb Abdulganiy, an alleged smuggler known as “Abuga,” to facilitate the illegal entry of over 2,000 cars loaded with rice from Benin Republic into Nigeria.

In a statement posted on his social media platforms, Soyombo detailed the operation, claiming it was scheduled for November 10, 2024. “All is set,” he wrote. “Your men, working with Adeyemi Habeeb Abdulganiy, the multi-billionaire-smuggler better known as Abuga, are primed to pass more than 2,000 cars containing at least 65 bags of rice each from Bebe in the Benin Republic into Sango, Nigeria.

“Some of these cars will enter Sango from the toll gate by driving against traffic, consequently endangering lives, while some will gain entry into Sango through Ifo; others will use the Oju-Ore-Ota route.

“Road users in Sango can expect traffic congestion early tomorrow morning unless this post prompts an about-face from the actors. I understand as well that soldiers from the 192 battalion at Owode will be patrolling during the journey to prevent any resistance.”

Soyombo’s revelations included video evidence to support his claims.

In response to denials from the NCS, Soyombo doubled down, releasing additional videos.

“Since Maiwada considers my revelations ‘tales by moonlight,’ I am supplying two more video evidence of smuggling-ready rice cars merely awaiting final clearance from rogue Customs officers,” he stated, referring to Abdullahi Aliyu Maiwada, the NCS National Public Relations Officer, who had earlier dismissed the allegations as “fictitious.”

“If, after this, Maiwada still considers my revelations fictitious, I’m happy to share more videos with you. I’m just trying to be useful to you, so you can in turn be useful to Nigerians rather than your pockets,” Soyombo added.

The FIJ has called for Soyombo’s immediate release, warning that his detention highlights growing threats to press freedom in Nigeria.