NNPC boss gives 90-day ultimatum to management of Warri Refinery to begin full production

The Group Managing Director,Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Dr Ibe Kachikwu has issued a 90-day ultimatum to the management of the Warri Refining and Petrochemicals Company (WRPC) to commence full production at the facility.

This is contained in a press statement issued by the corporation’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division Mr Ohi Alegbe and made available in Abuja on Thursday, September 3.

The statement said Kachikwu gave the ultimatum at the end of a facility tour of the refinery and the adjoining Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) Jetty and Depot in Warri.

The GMD said he was ready to provide the management of the facility the necessary support to enable it meet the fast track target.

"So whatever you need to do to get your refinery back on track please do it now because this is the time.

"It’s a 90 days Fast-Track programme and whatever you need me to do to make that happen, let me know,’’ he said.

He also urged the management of the plant to resuscitate the Petrochemicals plant which was commissioned in March 1988.

On the state of Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) storage facility, Kachikwu promised to end the era where the company relies heavily on private depots to store the bulk of it’s petroleum products.

He noted that some of the biggest storage facilities in the industry belong to PPMC.

"I recall when I was growing up in this industry we all got our products from PPMC, in fact the fear of PPMC then was the beginning of wisdom.

"But now PPMC is putting products more on the tanks of marketers and letting them run the show but that is not going to continue under my watch,’’ he said.

The Acting Managing Director of WRPC, Engr. Solomon Ladenegan said that measures have been put in place to ensure the full restoration of operation of the plant by early November.

It would be recalled that the 37-year old refinery, which has the capacity to process 125, 000 barrels of crude oil per day has been undergoing phased rehabilitation exercise.

The refinery was shutdown last week due to some technical hitches in one of its units.