By Comfort Olayinka
A group of northern youths, Arewa Youths Initiative For Energy Reforms (AYIFER), has called on the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Mallam Mele Kyari, to do all within his powers to deliver the Kaduna refinery on time and in good standards.
This was contained in a statement signed on Friday by Alhaji Bashir Al’Amin, National Coordinator, and Engr. Gideon Yakubu, General Secretary, and made available to newsmen.
According to the group, the hopes of the entire northerners lie in the completion of work and commissioning for crude productions, the Kaduna refinery.
AYIFER urged Kyari to deliver a standard and full fledged petrochemical refinery, like the type of Dangote refinery in Lagos, and resist any temptation to deliver the type in Port Harcourt, which it said, has been criticized by host communities and stakeholders, describing it as a blending plant.
The statement further quoted the group as expressing optimism that Kyari would deliver a standard refinery to the north, since it’s the only refinery legacy domiciled in the region, after the dearth or near collapse of other legacy industries and factories.
“We have not been to Port Harcourt refinery since it was reopened, but the commentaries therefrom, especially the host communities and other Nigerians, are not encouraging at all. Some of these comments are uncharitable to Mallam Mele Kyari and even to the NNPCL, an embarrassment to the nation as a whole.
“We believe so much in Mallam Mele Kyari, as a seasoned Geologist and explorationist and we know, at the right time, he would come out to address all the issues raised about the Port Harcourt refinery. We will know by then, if all their claims are genuine or not.
“But in the meantime, we are calling on him, to expedite actions on Kaduna refinery, so we can be at par with other regions in the country.
“We equally beg the NNPCL, headed by our able brother, to do professional work in rehabilitating the old refinery and deliver a standard and functional petrochemical refinery and not the type they call blending plant in Port Harcourt.
“We know that he is an extremely busy person and a lot too, is happening around him. We have tried severally to pay courtesy visit on him, to intimidate him on our demands, to no avail. We understand his tight schedules and we also know some sycophants may have access to him and want to mislead him. He should resist any temptation that could make him to do something that can jeopardize his good image. It’s our duty to protect him, because if he fails, we have failed. He is a young man that God has blessed. He needs our prayers.
“Since the extinction of Groundnut pyramid in Kano, textiles in Kano and Kaduna, PAN in Kaduna, etc, and the Kaduna refinery getting moribund, alot of our youth lost their jobs and all our hopes in the north are tied to this legacy refinery, trusting Almighty Allah would use our brother to deliver it well, and on time, too.
“We are solidly behind him in prayer and we shall come out soon to celebrate him, when our expectations are met, insha Allah”, the statement read.
