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Refining Fraud Through Oil
Refining fraud through oil
By Emeka Obasi
The Nigerian oil industry is a multi billion naira venture capable of creating one of the leading economies in the globe. It is the mainstay of robust nations like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait where results of transparency visit investors.
Unfortunately, this same Black Gold has become a curse in one of the largest oil producing nations of the world. There is nothing to show for the trillions of naira earned by successive governments, either military or civilian.
It is criminal that all the four refineries in Nigeria, with a capacity of 450,000 barrels per day (bpd) have been grounded since 2019. The two in Port Harcourt, one in Warri and another in Kaduna are not different from war relics, reminding compatriots of the pains of failed leadership.
The truth is that Nigerians have been told more lies by the government and Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPCL) Limited, than those who colonised Africa during the years of Imperialism. Deceit has become an official policy.
Port Harcourt refinery was built to turn out 210,000 bpd. There are reports that about 1.5 million dollars went into it in 2015 for Turn Around Maintenance (TAM). The only visible result is a moribund site that continues to create long lines in filling stations nationwide.
Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mele Kyari, made several attempts to show how much he cared about the people. He began to issue statements of fact, raising hope that Port Harcourt refinery was ready to roar back to life.
It is impossible to determine how many times those promises turned empty and evaporated through the rough creeks of the Niger Delta. Hope was raised, D Day fixed for December 2022. Nearly two years after, D Day has moved as many times as it takes water to pass under the bridge.
The Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company attracted positive attention when the Managing Director, Desmond Inyamah, announced a December 2023 date as definite period of production. There are worries that after another year, nothing has happened. The story in Kaduna is not different.
While Nigerians remain in perpetual agony, some politicians and importers are growing fatter, gaining from the corrupt system that allows crude oil to be exported, refined and brought back to the country at perilous costs.It takes only the devil to understand why an oil producing nation enjoys the death of its refineries.
The shame is that there are citizens who are blessed with the ingenuity to stem this robbery. During the Civil War, the only refinery was in the Garden City, under the breakaway Republic of Biafra. When Port Harcourt fell in May 1968, the war did not end.
Biafrans went to work. A new refinery was built in Uzuakoli, by the Petroleum Management Board (PMB). How striking that one former Nigerian Oil Minister chose the acronym, PMB. Another refinery emerged in Amandugba, through the Research and Production Board. It took impoverished and landlocked Biafra months to build two refineries. For decades, Nigeria in peace time, has been unable to maintain four refineries.
Dangote Refinery is here; why are we unhappy? By Dele Sobowale
Dangote Fallout: Scotland’s only oil refinery to close next year, 400 jobs to go
During the war, Biafra found an alternative to oil. Dr. Clement Onyemelukwe, regarded as the Father of Electricity in Nigeria led efforts to produce fuel from coal. Today, there are coal deposits in the Enugu area, no attempt has been made to think out of the box.
What Nigerians gain from oil is lamentation. When President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office in 2015, a litre of Premium Motor Spirit was less than 100 naira. He was Petroleum minister as a soldier. The first thing he did as Oil minister and President, was to hike the price astronomically.
His successor, President Bola Tinubu, who is also the Oil minister jumped from 165 naira per litre to over 600 naira per litre. Today, Nigerians are struggling to see fuel to buy at over 1000 naira per litre after yet another hike.
This price hike is strange, coming less than one year after the NNPC flaunted a three trillion naira profit. It is only in skewed climes that a company that made trillions in profit will blame fuel scarcity on debt it owed global partners.
Aliko Dangote has been in a cat and mouse game with the NNPC. His resolve to open a new refinery was met with blackmail, politics and all sorts of damaging stories. Behind the facade, is the feeling that he has come to block leakages that gave thieves access to free loot.
In 1999, Dangote and his friend Femi Otedola, pioneered Blue Star Consortium to acquire 75 percent stakes in Port Harcourt and Kaduna Refineries. They were frustrated. He is back with Dangote Refinery. The oil bandits are fighting him and punishing the people.
Necessity, they say, is the mother of invention. If Biafrans could build refineries while killer bomber jets hovered around the them, why is the same not happening in Nigeria where there is no Civil War? It is obvious that those who decide our fate are killers of talent.
I feel so bad anytime news is made of government agencies raiding communities in the Niger Delta and destroying refineries. All the brains managing our oil feel threatened by the ingenuity of people who have no degrees in Petrochemical Engineering or any formal training but are able to do what government failed to do.
The world cannot understand how Nigerians continue to tolerate their leaders in big offices who relax at the back seat of fuel guzzling Sports Utility Vehicles while the masses spend days and nights watching over chaos in gas stations that grind them with high prices.
By Divine Perezide
WARRI — The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Western Zone, has backed the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Dennis Guwor, over his recent assertion that Ijaws occupy six local government areas in Delta State, describing the claim as factual and widely acknowledged.
Guwor had made the statement during a gathering in Bomadi where Ijaw leaders hosted Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori. The event also featured the endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Oborevwori as preferred candidates for the 2027 presidential and governorship elections by Ijaw stakeholders in the state.
The Speaker, while presiding over the adoption of a motion moved by Julius Pondi and seconded by Preyor Oboro, noted that the political stance reflected the position of Ijaws residing across six local government areas in Delta.
However, the comment has drawn criticism from sections of the Itsekiri ethnic nationality, who challenged the accuracy of the claim and described it as misleading.
Reacting to the controversy, the IYC Western Zone dismissed the criticisms, insisting that the Speaker’s statement aligns with demographic and political realities.
Speaking in Warri, the IYC Western Zone Information Officer, Tare Magbei, said the backlash was driven by political opposition and ethnic bias.
Magbei maintained that Ijaws have undisputed dominance in Burutu and Bomadi Local Government Areas, while constituting the majority population in Patani, Warri South-West, and Warri North, and maintaining a minority presence in Warri South.
He described attempts to discredit the Speaker as “deliberate efforts to misinform the public,” adding that the issue has been unnecessarily politicised due to the approaching election cycle.
According to him, “what the Speaker stated reflects the obvious realities known to residents of Delta State,” noting that stirring ethnic sentiments for political gain could undermine peaceful coexistence in the region.
The IYC spokesman further warned that disputing such claims could heighten tensions, emphasizing that the Ijaw people have historically demonstrated restraint and commitment to peaceful relations with neighbouring ethnic groups.
He urged political actors to prioritise issue-based engagement rather than what he termed campaigns of calumny targeted at public office holders, including the Speaker.
The development underscores growing political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections, as stakeholders across Delta State continue to position themselves within the broader dynamics of ethnic representation and electoral strategy.
By Favour Bibaikefie
BOMADI, DELTA STATE — Prominent Ijaw leaders, traditional rulers and political stakeholders have thrown their weight behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for second terms in office, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The endorsement was announced at a large gathering held in Bomadi, headquarters of Bomadi Local Government Area, during a grand reception organised by Delta Ijaw political leaders in honour of the governor.
The event drew thousands of Ijaw indigenes and key figures from across the Niger Delta, including the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dennis Brutu Otuaro, who led the mobilisation efforts alongside other stakeholders.
The motion for endorsement was formally moved by a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Julius Pondi, and seconded by Delta State lawmaker Hon. Kenneth Oboro. It was subsequently ratified through a voice vote presided over by the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Emomotimi Dennis Guwor.
Also present was Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, who commended the Delta State administration for its development-focused approach in Ijaw communities.
In recognition of his contributions, traditional rulers under the Delta Ijaw Traditional Rulers Forum conferred the chieftaincy title “Izonebimiewei”—meaning “the man who does good for the Ijaw people”—on Governor Oborevwori. The monarchs described the honour as a reflection of his infrastructural strides and commitment to the welfare of riverine communities.
Among the royal fathers in attendance were the Ebenana-owei of Ogulagha Kingdom, HRM Joseph Timiyan; Pere of Akugbene-Mein Kingdom, HRM Pere Kalanama VIII; and several other paramount rulers across Ijaw kingdoms in Delta State.
Addressing the gathering, Governor Oborevwori expressed appreciation for the honour and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to inclusive development. He noted that significant investments—running into hundreds of billions of naira—had already been made in infrastructure and social development across Ijaw areas.
According to him, the continued support of the Ijaw people would be reciprocated through further projects and political inclusion.
Speaking at the event, Otuaro urged the people to sustain their support for the current administration at the federal level, citing ongoing development initiatives in the Niger Delta. He pointed to key interventions, including large-scale infrastructure projects and strengthened institutional support for regional agencies.
He emphasized that continuity in leadership would consolidate the gains recorded so far, urging members of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement 2027 to intensify grassroots mobilisation efforts.
The Chairman of the Central Organising Committee, Hon. Funkekeme Solomon, explained that the reception was convened as a demonstration of appreciation for the governor’s developmental achievements in Ijaw communities.
The event also witnessed a strong turnout of supporters aligned with the pro-Tinubu campaign structure, further underscoring the growing political momentum ahead of the next electoral cycle.
The endorsement marks a significant political statement from the Ijaw bloc in Delta State, signalling early alignment and strategic positioning ahead of the 2027 elections.
By Charity Ebi
Hon. has formally assumed office as the Coordinator of the City Boy Movement (CBM) in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, pledging dedication to service and community development.
Speaking following his inauguration, Negerese described his new role as a call to responsibility and commitment rather than a mere title. He assured residents that his leadership would focus on delivering impact and fostering hope across the local government.
He expressed gratitude to God for what he described as divine grace and acknowledged the support of key political leaders and stakeholders, including the Governor of Bayelsa State, , and his deputy, . He also appreciated the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, , for his encouragement and backing.
The newly inaugurated coordinator further thanked the leadership of the City Boy Movement, particularly the State Director-General, , as well as members of the organisation for entrusting him with the responsibility.
Negerese paid special tribute to the people of Ekeremor, including youths, women, and elders, for their support and participation in the process leading to his emergence.
He pledged to work collaboratively with stakeholders to promote development, empower residents, and strengthen unity within the area, expressing optimism about building a more vibrant and progressive Ekeremor under his coordination.