The Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has denied lifting Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, from the Port Harcourt Refinery — a claim that directly contradicts the association’s previous statements.
Earlier this year, in February, PETROAN publicly stated through its spokesman, Joseph Obele, that its members were lifting petrol, diesel (AGO), and kerosene (DPK) from the recently refurbished Port Harcourt and Warri refineries. The association hailed the development as a turning point for local refining and price stability.
However, in a recent appearance on national television, PETROAN President Billy Gillis-Harry backtracked, clarifying that members had only lifted diesel and kerosene from the refinery — not petrol. He further claimed that petrol was only available to NNPC trucks and stations, and not sold commercially to PETROAN members.
“For the products that we were lifting in NNPC, especially in Port Harcourt refinery, most of them were DPK and AGO… we did not buy any commercial PMS from NNPC,” Gillis-Harry said.
This statement directly contradicts PETROAN’s earlier press release, which insisted that its members were loading PMS from the facility and described the refinery as “fully operational.” The reversal has raised questions about the accuracy of information released during ongoing public scrutiny over the refinery’s true output capacity.
Industry watchers now see the conflicting statements as a serious credibility issue, especially as Nigerians continue to demand transparency in the nation’s energy sector.
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