Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, the governor of Delta State, has asked the federal government to move quickly to revive the country’s refineries.

When Governor Oborevwori met with Senator Ifeanyi Ubah’s Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Turnaround Maintenance of Nigerian Refineries at Government House in Asaba, he made this statement.

Reactivating Nigeria’s refineries, he claimed, would prevent the country from needing foreign exchange for fuel imports.

The governor insisted that if the country stopped importing petroleum goods, the naira would face less pressure against the dollar.

“I have the full confidence that this ad-hoc committee will do a very good job. I want to say it here, that this assignment is not a jamboree; it is an assignment with seriousness and I believe that with your oversight function, the right thing is done.

“When our refineries are put in place. When this is done, the issue of fuel importation will be a thing of the past because it is causing us a lot, and we are having challenges with forex.

“So if our refineries are working and things are going very well, it will also boost the economy of this country.

“I want to assure you of our support in Delta State. Any support you need to aid your oversight work, we are going to give you in Delta,” Oborevwori pledged.

Senator Ubah had earlier stated that the state’s ad hoc committee was in charge of overseeing efforts to turn around the country’s refineries.

“We are here to look into the rehabilitation of our refineries, the issues surrounding crude oil theft, how we can maximise the output of our country’s crude oil and, also how we can support issues that have to do with upstream, downstream, Niger Delta affairs and host communities of Niger Delta,” Senator Ubah stated.