Refinery rehabilitation: TMA alleges political agenda behind Ugochinyere’s criticism

The Tinubu Media Ambassadors, TMA, has criticised Ikenga Ugochinyere, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Downstream Petroleum, over his comments on the rehabilitation and operations of Nigeria’s state-owned refineries.

The group urged the lawmaker to allow the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, to complete the ongoing rehabilitation programme, arguing that the process should not be turned into a political issue.

President of TMA, Mustapha Mohammed, made the position known in a statement on Sunday while reacting to concerns recently raised by Mr Ugochinyere over the NNPCL’s handling of information relating to the rehabilitation and operations of the refineries.

Mr Ugochinyere had expressed concern over what he described as the failure of the NNPCL to provide the House committee with adequate information on the rehabilitation, revival and operations of the country’s refineries.

The lawmaker said the committee had written to the NNPCL requesting relevant documents and briefings from its Group Chief Executive Officer, Bashir Bayo Ojulari, and the executive vice-president in charge of the downstream sector.

He also warned that the committee could invoke its constitutional and parliamentary powers if the company failed to provide the requested information.

However, Mr Mohammed said the NNPCL was implementing a deliberate Federal Government policy aimed at reviving the state-owned refineries, insisting that there had been no breach of any legislation enacted by the National Assembly or its committees.

“Ugochinyere and his sponsors should allow the refineries to be fixed. The NNPCL is executing a deliberate federal government policy to revive the refineries, and there has been no breach of any legislation by the National Assembly or any of its committees.

“What is required at this point is to allow the process to work rather than creating unnecessary controversy around an intervention that is already being implemented,” he said.

The TMA president also questioned Mr Ugochinyere’s previous assessment of the NNPCL under its former Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari.

Mr Mohammed alleged that the lawmaker had repeatedly expressed confidence in Mr Kyari while the country’s refineries remained largely inactive, describing his current criticism of the company as a departure from his earlier position.

“He gave Kyari so many votes of confidence when the refineries were not fixed. It is therefore curious that the same person is now raising these issues in this manner.

“This is the same man who claims to be leading the opposition in the National Assembly, yet appears to have been comfortable with the executive and those ready to play ball at night.

“He should be careful not to allow himself to be used by those whose objective is to destroy the Tinubu administration,” Mr Mohammed said.

The TMA president further accused political opponents of the administration’s petroleum reforms of attempting to exploit the refinery rehabilitation issue to create controversy ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He described the allegation that the NNPCL was withholding information on the rehabilitation as, in TMA’s view, a political tactic capable of undermining public confidence in the government’s efforts to restore domestic refining capacity.

“Accusing the NNPCL of withholding information on the rehabilitation of Nigeria’s refineries is a backend tactic by the same agents using cheap gimmicks to create the impression that the government is not doing anything.

“These are the same forces suggesting that they would restore the fuel subsidy if elected into office in 2027.

“Nigerians should be wary of attempts to turn a complex policy and infrastructure programme into a political weapon,” he said.

Mr Mohammed said the government’s refinery rehabilitation programme should ultimately be assessed based on its progress and outcomes rather than political rhetoric.

He also urged Mr Ugochinyere to distinguish his political activities from his responsibilities as chairman of a House committee.

“Ugochinyere at this point should separate the institution of the House from his politics of 2027.

“Oversight is an important constitutional responsibility, but it should not become a platform for advancing partisan political interests.

“The refinery rehabilitation process should be allowed to continue, while legitimate oversight should be conducted through the appropriate institutional channels,” he said.