The Mayor of Urhoboland and head of the Association of Urhobo Mayoral Family Crown (AUMFC), Eshanekpe Israel, also known as Akpodoro, has lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Chief Group Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, for the successful restart of petroleum product loading at the Port Harcourt Refinery.
In a statement issued after the announcement of the refinery’s resumed operations on Tuesday, Akpodoro hailed President Tinubu as a “jinx breaker,” recognizing his achievement in accomplishing what previous administrations failed to do.
“President Tinubu has shown remarkable capacity and skill,” Akpodoro said, noting that past governments had repeatedly failed to revive the refinery, despite spending billions of naira on repairs. He criticized former administrations, particularly the Peoples’ Democratic
Party (PDP), for using the refinery as a “conduit pipe to drain national wealth” without delivering results. Akpodoro also pointed out the shortcomings of the APC-led government under former President Muhammadu Buhari, which, despite financial investments, could not get the refinery operational due to systemic corruption.
“Today, the man we voted for against all odds has delivered a legacy project for Nigerians,” Akpodoro declared, praising Tinubu for his leadership and vision. He expressed confidence that the refinery’s current operational capacity of 65,000 barrels per day would ease Nigeria’s energy crisis and potentially lower fuel prices through market forces.
The Mayor also commended Mele Kyari for his leadership, patriotism, and perseverance in overseeing NNPCL. He acknowledged Kyari’s ability to navigate significant challenges, including oil theft and public mistrust, while ensuring the refinery’s progress despite sabotage attempts aimed at maintaining the country’s dependency on imported fuel.
The resumption of operations at the Port Harcourt Refinery is seen as a major step toward enhancing Nigeria’s energy self-sufficiency and reducing reliance on imported petroleum products.
