From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
Few days after Transparency International (TI) downgraded Nigeria in its Corruption Perception Index ( CPI), Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria ( HURIWA) has queried why three refineries that processed no crude could record operational of N10.27 billion cost.
Speaking during an interview with Daily Sun, Head, Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA), Mr. Emmanuel Onwubiko, said that the cost resulted in an operating deficit of N10.23 billion by the refineries.
The Port-Harcourt Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited, according to him, (PHRC) has the capacity of producing 210,000 barrels per day; Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited (KRPC) can produce 110,000 barrels per day while the Warri Refining Petrochemical Company Limited (WRPC) has a 125,000 barrels per day production capacity.
“In June 2020, the corporation’s three refineries processed no crude and combined yield efficiency is 0.00 per cent owing largely to on-going rehabilitation works at the refineries.
“There was no associated crude plus freight cost for the three refineries since there was no production but operational expenses amounted to N10.27 billion. This resulted in an operating deficit of N10.23 billion by the refineries, according to the report” he said.
According to Onwubiko, a breakdown reveals that Warri Refining Petrochemical Company Limited recorded an operating deficit of N2.68 billion, Port-Harcourt Refining Petrochemical Company Limited recorded an operating deficit of N2.76 billion while Kaduna Refining Petrochemical Company Limited recorded the highest operating deficit of N4.79 billion.
To further buttress TI’s ranking, Onwubiko said that the senate recently uncovered how the ministry, which is headed by President Muhammadu Buhari, spent N14 million for biros and N46 million for letterhead papers and raised alarm.
“Stakeholders in the oil and gas sector as well as transparency and accountability advocates are disturbed over how the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, directly overseen by President Muhammadu Buhari spent a whopping N116 million on biros, papers and inks in one year. The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) also said that the judiciary was on top of the Nigeria’s Corruption Index between 2018 and 2020.
“It claimed that about N9, 457,650,000.00 (N9.457 billion) was offered and paid as bribe by lawyers.
Six female judges, according to the agency, reported that they were offered N3, 307,444,000.00 (N3.307 billion) and five male judges reported N392, 220,000 (N392.2 million).
The anti-corruption commission said the cases of outright demand and offer of bribes were “mostly linked to election matters.”
These details are contained in a report: “Nigeria Corruption Index: Report of a pilot survey”, which was made available on Tuesday by the Chairman of ICPC, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye (SAN) in Abuja” he said.
Recall that in its CPI 2020 report, Transparency International (TI) said that apart from occupying the 149th position out of the 180 countries surveyed, Nigeria scored 25 out of 100 points.
This, according to Transparency International, ranks Nigeria the second most corrupt country in West Africa with Guinea-Bissau as the only country more corrupt than Nigeria in the sub-region. ENDS
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