NIGERIA (Abuja) - President Goodluck Jonathan has appointed a steering committee for the privatization process of the nation’s four refineries by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE).

In a statement by the Head, Public Communications of BPE, Chigbo Anichebe, the privatization is in furtherance of the economic reform programme of the Jonathan administration, adding that government’s Transformation Agenda seeks to catalyse and provide an enabling environment for the private sector to be the drivers of economic growth in the country.

The four refineries are Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited (PHRC) I; Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited (PHRC) II; Kaduna Refining & Petrochemical Company Limited (KRPC) ; and Warri Refining & Petrochemical Company Limited (WRPC).

Members of the committee which would be headed by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Maduekwe, are Minister of Finance/CME, Minister of Power, Minister of Labour, Minister of National Planning, Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Minister of Justice/AGF and Chairman of the Extractive Sub-Committee of the NCP.

Other members are the SA to the Vice President on Economy, Group Managing Director of NNPC, Director General of BPE, Group Executive Director (Refineries), NNPC, and Director (Oil and Gas), BPE Secretary.

The Steering Committee will advise the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) on the best way to privatise the refineries in a manner that would enhance the gains of the privatisation programme of the Federal Government.

It will also review the diagnostic reports and recommendations of the transaction advisors and make recommendations to the NCP, propose modalities and make recommendations to NCP on labour matters to ensure the successful privatisation of the refineries.