IPMAN Decries Closure of Warri Refinery

IPMAN Decries Closure of Warri Refinery

Sylvester Idowu in Warri

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN), Delta State chapter has decried the prolonged closure of the Warri refinery.
The body alleged that the delay in putting the refineries to work was inimical to Nigerians.

The Chairman of IPMAN Delta State, Mr. Azino Oneimon, while speaking at a media briefing, said the Warri Refinery had been shut down for the past 20 months without any concrete steps to revive it.
“The Warri refinery has been shut down for 20 months without any plausible reason. The public is not aware of the reason behind the shutting down of Warri refinery.

“Our refineries are not bad the way the NNPC has made the nation to believe.
“After the junior workers strike, the Warri refinery has been down. When enquiries were made, we were told that the refinery is undergoing test and that when the test is finished, the refinery would be opened again. How long would the test continue?
We posit that there is more to the closure of the refineries,” he said.

He queried: “The refineries are not working, yet you keep a large number of staff who you pay monthly salary.”
Onoimon, further argued that the Warri Refinery was in good shape and fit for work.

“It has no problem and it is functional. They decided to shut it down for their own selfish reasons. We have appealed to the WRPC on several occasions to reopen the Warri refinery. They insist that federal power has not given the authority to reopen the refinery.”
He appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene and ensure the reopening of all the refineries, particularly Warri Refinery which he insisted was still in good shape for production of petroleum products.

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