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P’Harcourt Refinery to resume production in December –Sylva

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva has promised that the old Port Harcourt Refinery undergoing rehabilitation will begin operations in December. The former Bayelsa State governor made the pledge yesterday when briefing State House correspondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa. He also said work on the compressed natural gas (CNG) is still on. Sylva said: “The rehabilitation of the refineries is ongoing. As we said earlier, the old refinery in Port Harcourt, which is about 60,000 barrels per day capacity, will be functional by December.

Of course, we still have some time in the contracting time to conclude the rest of the Port Harcourt refineries. Work on the Kaduna and Warri refineries are also progressing very well. We will soon be embarking on an inspection visit.” Speaking on the CNG, he said progress was being made on the project by the government. The meeting also approved N28.1 billion for the augmentation of road and other infrastructural projects in the Wasa District of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Speaking at the event, FCT Minister Muhammed Bello said the augmentation was a result of inflation which has overtaken the initial approval of N56 billion for the Wasa District projects. He said: “The Council approved the revised estimated total cost of the contract for the provision of engineering infrastructure for the Wasa Affordable Housing District.”

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola blamed the traffic congestion on the Lagos- Ibadan Expressway on the attitude of some drivers and the weather conditions which slowed down the progress of work on the remaining six kilometres yet to be completed. The former Lagos State governor said: “I also heard that some aggrieved students, under the aegis of NANS, are also going on to the road in order to protest. My respectful view is that that is not helpful at all to the citizens. The right to protest is a very well-protected right in our Constitution, but it does not include the right to inflict pain and inconvenience on other people.

“So, whilst their protests can go on, they should refrain from blocking the road in order to do their protest that in itself is a violation of law, if they are well advised.” The Minister of Health Osagie Ehanire said the Council approved the contract for local manufacture of COVID-19 vaccine in collaboration with Bio Vaccine Limited. According to him, Bio Vaccine Limited, billed to commence production of vaccine at the expiration of the subsidies expected from GAVI in 2028 has 49 percent Federal Government investment. He added that Nigerians have begun training in South Africa, South Korea and India to ensure technology transfer ahead of the planned production of the vaccines by the Bio Vaccine Limited.

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