Reps Minority Caucus demands Review of $1.5 bn P/H Refinery rehabilitation

Tom Okpe, Abuja

House of Representatives Minority Caucus has demanded the review of $1.5bn Port Harcourt Refinery rehabilitation.

Ndudi Elumelu, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives made this known at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Tuesday saying; “after a thorough evaluation, the Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives rejects the $1.5 billion for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery.”

Describing the figure as outrageous and heavily inflated, the Caucus, therefore, demands an immediate review of the cost, submitting that a critical cost analysis indicates “a huge scam and a ploy by unscrupulous elements to hide under the guise of rehabilitation of the refinery to siphon public funds.”

The group of lawmakers opined that the project can be transparently executed at an amount, far less than the approved over-bloated cost.

Ndudi Elumelu, (PDP Delta), noted that whereas the caucus is in support of any genuine effort to bridge the energy deficit in Nigeria, such should not be used as a ploy by corrupt individuals to fleece the nation.

“This over-bloated $1.5 billion cost has again brought to the fore the prevailing unpatriotic proclivity of treasury looting and criminal diversion of public funds through inflated contracts by officials of government for their selfish interests.

“It is completely unexplainable that the sum of $1.5 billion, belonging to Nigerians, is to be funneled towards the rehabilitation of a non-profitable refinery, which has already been slated to be handed over to private hands.

“As lawmakers, we firmly reject this attempt to use the refineries to further defraud our nation. In that regard, our caucus demands an immediate review of the project on a transparent and competitive cost template, while the billions of naira that would be recovered from the surplus, should be directed towards other areas of our national energy need.

“We call for immediate decisive steps towards providing required incentives to private organizations who have shown manifest interest in establishing refineries in our country, as a sure step to meet our national energy need.”

The lawmakers urged the Federal Executive not to release funds related to the inflated rehabilitation costs until, after the review.