The management of the Port Harcourt Refining Company says the recent fire incident at the plant in Eleme, Rivers State will not disrupt the ongoing rehabilitation of the two refineries at the complex to operate at full capacities.
The Managing Director of the Company, Ahmed Dikko stated this during an inspection of the site of the inferno on Monday.
He also allayed the fears of Rivers State residents, especially those in the host communities of Eleme and Okrika Local Government Areas, assuring that preventive plans are being made to avoid further occurrence, even though the recent one was a minor situation.
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The incident occurred on Sunday at the plant which is currently undergoing rehabilitation for full capacity operation.
While initial reports suggested that the plant was completely gutted by the inferno, the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) noted that it was a minor incident which was contained in less than two hours.
The incident occurred just hours after Governor Nyesom Wike ordered the shutdown of illegal crude oil refining sites in the state with immediate effect.
In his new year message released on Saturday by his spokesman, Kelvin Ebiri, the governor directed council chairmen and community leaders to report those behind illegal bunkering and crude oil refining sites in their localities to his office for prosecution.
The move, according to the governor, became necessary to contain the menace of soot pollution which has continued to endanger public health in the state.
