Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
Officials at the Port Harcourt Refining Company have given reason for the slowing down of its operations, saying it was done to enable them address some technical issues confronting the company.
Executive Director of Operations, Moyi Maidunama, who spoke during a guided tour of the refinery on Sunday, said operations were not halted.
According to him, the reduction was due to some needed improvements.
“The operations were not halted. It was obviously reduced due to some improvements that we needed to make.
“We are managing the process with the number of trucks available today, using a few loading arms for evacuation. This should be resolved soon,” Moyi Maidunama stated.
Addressing journalists, Joel Molokwu, Terminal Operations Manager of Port Harcourt depot, shared that activities were ongoing at the facility.
“We have our loading arms operational and we have been begging them (petroleum marketers) to come in since yesterday but because today is weekend that is why they have not turned up. If you give us 100 trucks today, we will evacuate them in less than five hours.
“So, it is not our problem if there are no loading trucks, it is the tanker drivers’ problem. We have been begging them since yesterday to come around and take the products but they didn’t turn up.
“It was just this morning after pleading with them that they came”, Molokwu said.
Truth Live News Media reports that Nigerians took to their various social media platforms few days ago to express their joy that some trucks were seen loading petroleum product from the facility, indicating that the company is back to it good old days but that joy was shortlived after few days.