The House of Representatives on Thursday resolved to investigate funds appropriated and disbursed for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries between 2010 and 2024 with a view to ascertaining the status of the refineries.

In a resolution following a motion by Sesi Oluwaseun Whingan (APC, Lagos), the House mandates its relevant committees to examine how public funds were utilised and identify agencies responsible for infractions or mismanagement of the funds appropriated for the refineries.

Whingan said there has been a persistent non-functionality of Nigeria’s state-owned refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna, despite over two decades of rehabilitation efforts and an estimated expenditure of $18 billion on turnaround maintenance, with no tangible results to show.

He drew attention to the recent public statements by Nigeria’s foremost industrialist, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, expressing doubts about the viability of these refineries and describing the multi-billion-dollar investments as futile, sparking widespread public concern and outrage over potential mismanagement.

He recalled that in 2007, during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo, Alhaji Dangote and other private investors acquired the refineries, but the succeeding administration of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua reversed the transaction, opting instead for rehabilitation using public funds, a decision that has yielded no significant operational improvements.

He also drew attention to a comment by the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Engr. Bayo Ojulari distancing the current administration from the monumental mismanagement of Nigeria’s state-owned refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna, confirming their continued non-functionality despite significant investments estimated at $18 billion.

He said the NNPCL Boss also proposed the potential sale of these assets, thereby raising critical questions about fiscal responsibility, strategic asset management, and the long-term implications for Nigeria’s energy security and economic stability.

According to him, despite consistent annual budgetary allocations over the years, there is no verifiable evidence of substantial rehabilitation outcomes, representing a gross misuse of public funds and a betrayal of public trust.

Whingan said that Nigeria’s economic stability and energy security are inextricably linked to a functional and accountable downstream petroleum sector, particularly following the removal of the petrol subsidy by the current administration, which underscores the urgent need for operational refineries to mitigate economic hardship.

He stresses that a comprehensive, transparent, and time-bound investigation is essential to ascertain the current operational and structural status of Port Harcourt, Wari, and Kaduna refineries, examine the utilisation of all allocated funds and the effectiveness of rehabilitation efforts, identify any infractions, mismanagement, or corrupt practices in the management of these assets and propose actionable reforms to safeguard future public investments and ensure the sustainability of Nigeria’s oil and gas infrastructure. (The Nation)