EXCLUSIVE: NNPC CEO Mele Kyari Seeks Extension With Last-Minute Move, Reopens Warri Refinery Currently Lacking Petrol Production Capacity To Gain Tinubu's Favour

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has resumed operations at its Warri oil refinery after nearly a decade of shutdowns. 

According to sources, the refinery's reopening despite its lack of readiness to produce Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise called petrol, is seen as a move by NNPCL's CEO, Mele Kyari, to gain favour with President Bola Tinubu and potentially extend his tenure. 

SaharaReporters reported earlier that the Warri Refining and Petrochemicals Company (WRPC), with a capacity of 125,000 barrels per day, which was announced to have resumed production in Warri, Delta State, is producing only Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) otherwise known as diesel and Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK), citing some of the workers.

The workers further revealed to SaharaReporters that the Warri Refinery is far from turning out petrol, which is the commodity that is most highly in demand, as only one of the three plants in the facility is working.

The timing of the refinery's resumption of partial production has raised eyebrows, with sources saying that Mele Kyari is trying to curry favour with President Tinubu. 

Kyari is set to retire on January 8, and some workers say that he is seeking to extend his tenure. 

SaharaReporters learnt that Kyari, born on January 8, 1965, will need to leave office by January 8, 2025, when he will turn 60. 

One of the sources said: "Yes, the plant is running but cannot give you PMS. It is just like what is happening in Port Harcourt Refinery (PHRC)." 

"There is no refinery without the conversion unit. The GCEO is leaving on January 8 and he is looking for an extension; that is why he is doing what he is doing," the source added. 

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According to one of the sources, "these are last-minute moves by Kyari to get an extension".

"He is rushing all these to give the impression that the refineries are back even though the Warri Refinery cannot produce petrol yet," the source said. 

During a tour of the facility on Monday, Kyari said the plant was not operating at 100 per cent capacity, but was now running.

“We are taking you through our plant. This plant is running. It is not 100 percent. We are still in the process. Many people think these things are not real. They think real things are not possible in this country. We want you to see that this is real,” he had boasted.

The tour had also included the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, and other key stakeholders.

The Warri Refinery's rehabilitation project, which cost $898 million, aimed to revive the facility after years of disrepair and shortages of crude oil. While the refinery's resumption of production is a positive step, concerns about its operational capacity remain.

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