Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has strongly criticized the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) for its recent public invitation to him, describing the approach as disrespectful.
The NNPCL, through its spokesperson Olufemi Soneye, invited Obasanjo to inspect the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries following remarks he made in a television interview about the mismanagement of Nigeria’s refineries and failed privatization attempts.
During the interview, Obasanjo recounted his administration’s efforts to privatize the nation’s oil refineries, which were derailed when his successor, Musa Yar’Adua, rejected a $750 million proposal from Aliko Dangote to manage the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries.
“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. And 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 stated.
He added, “Aliko got a team together and they paid $750m to take part in PPP (Public–Private Partnership) in running the refineries. My successor refunded their money… I told him what transpired, and he said NNPC wanted the refinery and could run it. But you know they cannot run it.”
Obasanjo lamented that despite spending over $2 billion on refinery maintenance since 2007, the facilities remain non-operational.
NNPCL Defends Actions
Femi Soneye, NNPCL’s spokesperson, defended the corporation’s position, claiming significant progress had been made in rehabilitating the refineries. He said, “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.”
However, in a response through his media aide Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo rejected the gesture, stating that such an informal approach undermines the dignity of his office.
“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, adding that no official correspondence had been sent to Obasanjo as of January 2, 2024.
Refineries’ Operations Questioned
Reports indicate ongoing skepticism about the state of the refineries. Despite claims by NNPCL that the Port Harcourt refinery resumed crude oil processing on November 26, visits by Saturday Punch on November 29 and December 19 revealed little to no activity. Workers attributed the inactivity to calibration work.
Similarly, the Warri refinery, which NNPCL announced had resumed operations on December 31, faces questions about its operational status.
Reactions from Stakeholders
The Yoruba socio-political group Afenifere and the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) criticized the manner in which NNPCL extended its invitation to Obasanjo.
Chief Sola Ebiseni, Secretary-General of Afenifere, said, “It is sheer arrogance and disrespect for the NNPCL to claim they invited him to come and see [the refineries]. If you want to invite a statesman like Obasanjo, you should pay him a courtesy visit to present your views about the situation.”
Chief Peter Ameh, National Secretary of CUPP, also decried the move, calling it a public ridicule of the former president. “You cannot invite Obasanjo on the pages of newspapers. Even the GMD cannot invite another company head in such a manner. The NNPCL must learn how to prioritize professionalism over politics,” he said.
Obasanjo reiterated his belief that private management of the refineries would have yielded better results, contrasting the inefficiency of state control with Dangote’s ability to manage his private refinery effectively.
(PUNCH)
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