Regarding the breaking news about the Port Harcourt Refinery starting production in two weeks, by March 28th, 2024, if I were Mele Kyari, CEO of NNPC, I wouldn’t announce when the refineries will resume operations. Instead, I would wait until they start and bring in the media to show live that the refinery is now refining crude oil, and trucks are loading in real-time. This will convince Nigerians with a lot of mistrust in the state of affairs at the NNPC.
Nowadays, it is not difficult to refine crude oil, especially when nations have successfully sent missions to the moon and beyond by utilising advanced technologies. Even during the Nigerian civil war, it was said that Biafrans were able to refine crude oil and produce “nuclear weapons”, yet today, we seem to be stuck in the past as a nation.
The problem persists because of a lack of patriotism, failure to act in the national best interest, lack of meritocracy, weak followership divided along ethnic and religious faultiness, pervasive hydra-headed corruption, and inefficiency in the public sector, among others that have become Nigeria’s bane. I pray that the March 28 promise will be kept and that I may have something good to celebrate for my birthday (27 March) about Nigeria and being a Nigerian.
Prof. Joy Ngozi Ezeilo (OON, SAN)
