Port Harcourt, July 6, 2026 -The South-south Youths Initiative(SSYI) has called on anti-graft agencies to investigate the spending on the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery.
The group in a statement issued on Sunday by its President Comrade Savior Imaebe urged the EFCC to also investigate the financial records of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
SSYI in its statement expressed deep concern over a near moribund condition of the Port Harcourt refinery despite huge funds so far invested by the federal government for its rehabilitation.
According to the group, the reported $`1.5 billion approved for the refinery’s rehabilitation has not translated into the resumption of refining activities.
“We demand to know where the `$1.5 billion went, as the continuous postponement of operational deadlines has raised serious questions about the project,” the statement said.
SSYI also referenced the loan secured during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari for rehabilitation of the refinary noting that the facility was backed by crude oil allocations.
“What this means is that we are using crude oil from the Niger Delta to repay a loan for a refinery that is yet to become fully functional. This situation has become a major source of concern to the people of the region,” the group stated.
The group also declared its support for the ongoing investigation by the Senate Public Accounts Committee into financial discrepancies reportedly identified in NNPCL’s audited records between 2017 and 2023.
