By Lawal Dogara, Kaduna

The Federal Government has been called upon to set up more refineries to ensure the availability of petroleum products in the country.

The call which was made by the Managing Director of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC), Engr. Mojeed Olayinka Agoro while receiving members of House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum in his office, said the need for more refineries has become necessary to be able to meet the ever growing demand of the products.

According to him, more refineries would enable the country to produce enough to meet demand explaining that before the re-commissioning of the Kaduna Refinery in March this year, business in the country particularly in the North virtually paralyzed.

"During the idle period, business in the Northern Nigeria was practically paralyzed but today following the commissioning of the fuel plant, I am an accomplished man putting smile on the faces of Nigerians in this part of the country as well as seeing Nigerians of different callings lifting petroleum products and transacting legitimate business in the depot and around the refinery area", he said.

Engr. Agoro however, said it was not yet time for celebration as the plant was being operated with great challenges because crude supply from Warri to KRPC has not been steady due to frequent crude oil line breakages.

He appealed to the committee members to use their oversight function position to draw the attention of the Federal Government to the plight of the refineries in the country.

"The Oil and Gas Implementation Committee (OGIC), set up by the government of the day, in their report addressed the problems facing the refineries, I pray that you the Honourable members will encourage the implementation of the committee’s report aimed at achieving the desired objectives", he urged.

In his speech the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum, Clever Magnus Isikikpo assured that the committee would do everything possible to ensure that refineries in the country "get to their best thereby reducing problems associated with the non-availability of petroleum products in the country".

He said his committee would support establishment of new refineries and expansion of existing ones so as to address the scarcity of petroleum products in Nigeria.