Modular refineries: Rivers Deputy Governor meets stakeholders

By Okafor Ofiebor

As a follow up to the interactive session held with the Chairmen and Secretaries of Community Development Committees (CDCs) in the 23 local government areas of Rivers State, government has urged the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to encourage investors to partner with the state government to actualize the setting up of modular refineries.

Rivers State Deputy Governor, Dr. Mrs. Ipalibo Harry Banigo, stated this during a stakeholder’s consultative engagement with operators in the Petroleum Industry at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday, 16 March 2020.

The Deputy Governor said the Nation was losing so much from pipeline vandalism and “kpo fire” operations, noting that instead of losing so much to oil theft which was further depleting the environment it could be channeled to modular refineries.

She said the state government was driving the process and was willing to welcome on board investors on Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement so that they could be sure of leaving behind for posterity an environment that would be sustainable.

“We cannot just fold our hands doing nothing; we do not know how things will be like in ten years’ time; so the time to act is now”, Dr. Banigo stressed.

In his remarks, the representative of the Department of Petroleum Resources, Foster Renny Jumbo, who lauded the state government for its bold initiative assured the Deputy Governor that the DPR would give the government all necessary supports to achieve the goal.