The former lawmaker representing Kogi West senatorial district, Dino Melaye, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari administration of spending N1. 6 trillion non-functional Refineries in five years.
Dino in a video post on his Twitter account also claimed that the sum of N10 billion was spent every month to maintain a non-functional refinery in Nigeria.
The former lawmaker called on President Buhari to investigate the petroleum ministry, lamenting that the refineries have not been productive despite the amount of money spent on it.
Dino stated this while reacting to the plan of the Federal Government to spend $1.5 billion on the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery.
The Federal Executive Council last Wednesday approved $1.5 billion (about N600 billion) for the renovation of the Port Harcourt refinery.
President Buhari at the FEC virtual meeting approved the amount, a development that did not go down well with Nigerians.
Melaye in his reaction said, “I want to call on you, Mr President to carry out forensic investigation on the petroleum sector and specifically, this outrageous, irresponsible, calamitous renovation which is about to take place.”
“Mr President, you may not be aware but in the last five years, we have spent N1.6 trillion on the turnaround maintenance of these refineries. N1.6 trillion has been spent on this turnaround maintenance of these dead refineries in the last five years.”
“I also want to put it to you Mr President that in the last three years, none of our refineries has produced even one barrel or one litre of refined oil. Not one litre of the refined product as the case may be. In three years they have been moribund, they are not working, and they are not functional. They have not produced any, not even one drop of refined product.”
“And I want also to put it to you that over the years, we have been spending over N10 billion every month in the maintenance of a dead refinery that is not producing. Mr President, with all these statistics, it is laughable and outrageously unreasonable for anyone wanting to invest $1.5 billion (over N7 billion) on a Port Harcourt refinery.”
“Mr President, as I speak to you, that refinery was up for sale a few years ago for $500 million something. If it was up for sale for $500 million, why on earth will anybody want to renovate with $1.5 billion? Mr President, enough is enough! We are waiting for you to act on this. Failure to act on this, Nigerians will act. We have no other country to call our own. We are ready to carry out a peaceful action to press you and those in power and to be responsible for governance. Nigerians are now forced.”
