The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to strictly adhere to a 30-day timeline for repairs at the Port Harcourt Refinery, which was recently shut down.

PETROAN spokesperson Joseph Obele made this demand in a statement released on Sunday, following NNPCL's announcement on Saturday that it had shut down the Port Harcourt Refinery for maintenance and sustainability assessment.

The association expressed concerns that exceeding the 30-day maintenance timeline could worsen Nigeria's petroleum supply challenges and cause significant hardship to millions of citizens. PETROAN also raised doubts about the feasibility of completing the repairs within the scheduled timeframe due to potential bureaucratic bottlenecks.

According to PETROAN's National President, Billy Gillis-Harry, any delay in the refinery's rehabilitation schedule could have severe economic consequences and negatively impact PETROAN members who have purchased millions of litres of petroleum products from the NNPCL refinery depot, potentially resulting in substantial capital losses.

The association outlined several key demands for NNPCL, including:

1. Inclusion of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) blending unit in the repair process, emphasizing that crude oil cracking has little value without this component.

2. Completion of repairs before existing stocks are depleted to prevent market monopolisation and ensure stable petroleum product supply.

3. Establishment of a task force comprising all Petroleum Industry Stakeholders Forum members to monitor the 30-day repair process, with the Minister of Petroleum taking the lead.

4. Weekly progress briefings to ensure transparency and accountability throughout the repair schedule.

5. Prompt payments to contractors handling the repairs to avoid delays and keep the project on track.

PETROAN stressed that timely completion of the repairs is crucial for maintaining competition in the market, which would benefit both consumers and the broader Nigerian economy.

The NNPCL has yet to respond to these demands as of the time of this report. The situation remains closely watched by industry stakeholders and consumers alike, as any prolonged shutdown could have far-reaching implications for Nigeria's fuel supply chain and economy.