UNC whip David Lee is calling on the government to be more transparent about Nigerian company Oando Trading DMCC, which was selected to lease the former Petrotrin refinery in Pointe-a-Pierre.

Lee was speaking at a UNC press conference in Chaguanas on March 9. He began by saying Trinidad and Tobago is facing "the most critical question and challenge to emerge in decades."

This, he said, is: Who do you want in charge of your economic, social and human development?

He said the PNM is attempting a "political facelift" by changing leaders while the country faces "grave uncertainties."

"...(Uncertainties) on its future, ability to earn revenue, to sustain our social safety net and the ability to guarantee prosperity for our citizens."

He said the people of TT require fact over fiction and sustainability over soundbites.

One of the biggest lies, he said, was that the Petrotrin refinery was not profitable.

"The Ministry of Energy continues to blur the facts, hide the reality and present a misleading picture (about) the profitability on the operations of Petrotrin. Young is playing with numbers to hide the government's reckless destruction."

He said the refinery was profitable up to 2018 when the PNM shut it down, "no matter how they come to spin it."

On February 27, acting prime minister Stuart Young announced Oando as the preferred bidder for the refinery.

He said the proposals from the short-listed bidders (CRO Consortium, INCA Energy LLC and Oando PLC) were examined by an evaluation committee and Cabinet sub-committee chaired by Housing Minister Camille Robinson-Regis.

He added that Trinidad Petroleum Holdings Ltd (TPHL) will begin talks with the Nigerian company for the lease of the refinery.

On its website, the company says it is one of Africa’s "leading energy solutions providers with a proud heritage. It has a primary listing on the Nigeria Stock Exchange and a secondary listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. With shared values of teamwork, respect, integrity, passion and professionalism."

Lee said the people of TT need clarity "on this whole process of this new player the government says will be the firm taking over.

"Like clockwork, the government has pulled out its number-one election football – the sale of the Petrotrin refinery."

He said the government was not clear as to whether Oando confirmed it received or leased the refinery.

He said it felt like deja-vu as in 2020, before the general election, the government said it was "Ready and waiting to sign (the refinery) over to Patriotic (Energies Company Ltd)."

In a 2020 Facebook post from the Office of the Prime Minister, it said, "We are at the stage now where having accepted them (Patriotic) as the preferred bidder, they were asked to go away and come back with the commitments. Because you could say you’re going to so something and it sounds good, but we need to know that what you say you are going to do, you can do, and that your partners are in fact committed to the process that you have offered the State."

Lee said