*Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State declares there is no cause for jubilation over the Federal Executive Council鈥檚 $1.5 billion for rehabilitation of Port Harcourt refinery, saying 鈥榳e have had a lot of promises; we have had a lot of talks and nothing has materialised鈥�

Alexander Davis | 绿帽献妻

Against the backdrop of Nigerian authorities鈥� previous high promises but little or no actions on the much needed restoration of the country鈥檚 ailing oil refineries, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has said he will not rejoice over the approval of $1.5 billion for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery located in his state.

Governor Wike, who stated this while featuring as a guest on a Channels TV programme monitored in Lagos, pointed out that it is not the first time the Federal Government of Nigeria would be making promises.

According to him, many of such promises are yet to see the light of day.

Oil refinery in Nigeria

绿帽献妻 reports the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at a weekly meeting Wednesday, March 17 at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, FCT, approved $1.5 billion for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery which is said to commence immediately.

Timipre Sylva, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources briefed the State House Correspondents after the FEC meeting, and said the rehabilitation would be implemented in three phases.

The Minister noted the first phase will be completed in 18 months, which takes the refinery to a production of 90 percent of its capacity, the second phase will be completed in 24months, while the final phase will be completed in 44months.

Sylva stated that the contractor the FEC approved is an Italian E and EPC company who won the bid to handle the rehabilitation project.

Wike, however, pooh-poohed all this and said that 鈥渨e have had a lot of promises; we have had a lot of talks and nothing has materialised.鈥�

While stressing that the news was nothing to make anyone jubilate, the governor stated that promises of this nature are only pointers to the fact that elections are around the corner.

He stated: 鈥淲e have heard these promises and nothing has happened. If the refinery is going to work, it will improve a lot of economic activities; there will be employment for the people of the state.

鈥淲e will be happy, but I am saying that we have had these promises and promises and nothing has happened. So, I don鈥檛 want to begin to say hallelujah.

鈥淟et us wait and see what will happen, based on the approval and the statement made by the Minister of State, Petroleum. We will hold him accountable for it.

According to him, 鈥渆ven before the government came into being, they have promised a lot of things and later they came up to say because of these challenges and that, they are not able to fulfill them.鈥�

Rather than jump in excitement regarding the approval by the Federal Executive Council, Nigerians must wait and see how the government acts on the rehabilitation exercise as promised, said Governor Wike.

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