Rehabilitation work has resumed at the Port Harcourt Refinery located in Alesa-Eleme in Eleme local government area of Rivers State.
A source close to the NNPCL told LEADERSHIP that the rehabilitation work at the facility officially commenced on Monday, June 2, 2025.
Meanwhile, the management of Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited (PHRC) has warned its staff against responding to inquiries from the media over the controversial shutdown of the old refinery plant and anything that has to do with the rehabilitation work.
According to an internal memo signed by the Human Capital Management (HCM) Lead for the O&M PHRC Project, Leo Njoku, the staff are also prevented from speaking to strangers found within the vicinities of the refinery complex during the period that the shutdown maintenance will last.
Njoku noted that many people, including the group management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), government officials and the press would come around the refinery, but no staff should attend to them.
The memo reads in part: “All staff are expected to mind their business and face their assigned tasks.”
The communication emphasised that granting interviews or speaking to the press is a violation of civil service rules and could attract disciplinary actions.
It also noted that the Human Capital Management (HCM) department will monitor staff conduct closely during the maintenance period.
“Please be guided and mind your business,” the memo concluded.
