Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has criticized the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) for what he described as a “disrespectful” invitation to tour the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries.
In a statement issued through his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo expressed displeasure over the informal nature of the invitation. According to Akinyemi, as of Thursday, January 2, 2024, no formal letter of invitation had been sent to the former president.
“Is that the right way to invite a former president of the country? Who says Baba has even seen the statement or read the news? It is a total disrespect for the office of the former president,” Akinyemi said.
He further questioned NNPCL’s approach, stating, “Ask the NNPCL that as of January 2, have they written to him? Is there any official letter addressed to him, inviting him to the refinery? It is an absolute insult, and the former president cannot dignify such a response.”
Obasanjo’s remarks follow the NNPCL’s recent announcement of the reopening of the Warri refinery, which has been met with skepticism by many Nigerians.
During an interview on Channels Television, the former president reflected on past challenges in managing the nation’s refineries. He revealed that during his administration, business magnate Aliko Dangote had offered $750 million to manage the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries under a Public–Private Partnership (PPP). However, his successor, the late Musa Yar’Adua, reportedly refunded Dangote’s money after the NNPCL claimed it could handle refinery operations.
“When I was president, I wanted to do something about the three refineries we have: Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna. Aliko got a team together after I asked Shell to come and run it for us. Shell said they wouldn’t. I said, ‘Please come and take equity,’ they said no. I said, ‘Okay, don’t take equity, come and run it,’ they said no,” Obasanjo recounted.
He continued, “Aliko got a team together and they paid $750 million to take part in PPP to run the refineries. My successor refunded their money, and I went to my successor and told him what transpired. He said NNPC said they wanted the refineries and they could run them, and I said, ‘But you know they cannot run it.’”
The former president alleged that more than $2 billion had since been spent on the refineries without yielding results. “Since that time, more than $2 billion has been squandered on the refineries, and they still would not work,” Obasanjo lamented.
Obasanjo contrasted the inefficiency of government-managed refineries with his confidence in Dangote’s ability to run his privately owned refinery.
Reacting to Obasanjo’s comments, NNPCL spokesperson Olufemi Soneye defended the corporation’s efforts. He stated that the refineries had undergone extensive rehabilitation, including a complete overhaul to meet global standards.
“We extend an open invitation to former President Obasanjo for a tour of the rehabilitated refineries to witness firsthand the progress made under the new NNPC Limited,” Soneye said.
More Read
The NNPCL emphasized that the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries are now operational, a claim met with doubt by many Nigerians.
