Energy

Presidency replies Keyamo

Published

9 years ago

June 20, 2017

Feyijimi Emmanuel

Debunks concession of Port Harcourt Refinery

The Presidency has refuted reports on the concession of Port Harcourt Refinery by the Federal Government.

Aminu Diko, Director General of Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, in a letter dated 19^th June, 2017, to the Principal Counsel, Festus Keyamo Chambers, Abuja, acknowledged the letter from the Keyamo Chambers dated 13^th June, 2017, requesting for information on the reported concession of the Port Harcourt Refinery to AGIP/ENI & OANDO Plc.

The DG in response to the issue whether the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission has taken custody of the said concession agreement explained that:

“The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has not approached the Commission on any plan to grant a concession of the said refinery or any other arrangement with any private company for the repair, operation and maintenance of the said refinery.” He added that “If there is such an arrangement, the NNPC is required under the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (Establishment Act) Act 2005 (the Act) and National Policy on PPP 2009 to liaise with the Commission for regulatory guidance prior to entering into any contract.”

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The DG also on the issue of whether the concession was carried out in line with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (Establishment) Act narrated that the Commission only read about the proposed transaction in the ThisDay Newspaper article dated Sunday, 21^st May, 2017 which reported a decision by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to revitalize the nation’s refineries using Repair, Operate and Maintain financing mechanism.

He noted that the NNPC ought to make available certified copies of all the documents regarding the concession of the Port Harcourt refinery to Nigerian Agip Oil Company/ENI:

Thereafter, the DG declared: “There is no concession on the Refinery and, therefore, the Commission does not have any documentation regarding the said concession.”