Daud Olatunji
Operational activities at the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) have come to a complete halt due to protests by a faction of Eleme community youths.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the protest started since Tuesday, July 16, 2024, same day the the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) reaffirmed its commitment to commence crude oil refining at the Port Harcourt refinery by early August.
PLATFORM TIMES further gathered that the youths denied staff and contractors access to the facility, carrying placards and demanding significant changes in the company’s operations and community relations.
The protest has reportedly caused significant setbacks to the PHRC, one of Nigeria’s key oil refining facilities, which is located in the Eleme community, a host community along with Okrika.
The youths were protesting against what they described as the marginalisation of their community by the PHRC.
They are demanding 40% representation of the total workforce for the ongoing rehabilitation project and the dissolution of the Joint Community Relations Committee (JCRC), which includes representatives from PHRC and both host communities.
Earlier, the NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, had made the announcement of the commencement of operation during an emergency session at the National Assembly’s joint committee on finance.
Kyari had announced August timeline during his recent address.
Despite these assurances, the situation on the ground tells a different story.
The complete shutdown has severely impacted both operational and rehabilitation activities at the PHRC, including ongoing plant restreaming activities.
The plant’s capacity to handle emergencies has also been significantly reduced.
Efforts by PHRC management, in collaboration with government security agencies, to resolve the protest have so far been unsuccessful.
The Eleme youths, numbering in the hundreds, have vowed not to allow the refinery restart to proceed as planned.
They have set up blockades and even staged a mini-party at the refinery entrance to prevent access.
The disruption has also seen acts of vandalism within the plant, aimed at frustrating the restart efforts. Videos have emerged showing individuals cutting cables and stealing equipment from the refinery during the night.
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