Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has criticized the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) for its recent invitation to tour the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, calling it disrespectful.
Obasanjo expressed doubts about the viability of Nigeria’s government-owned refineries, despite recent announcements of operational restarts, and suggested that the truth would eventually come to light.
Through his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo stated that the open invitation was disrespectful to his office and person, noting that no formal invitation had been sent to him as of January 2, 2024. He questioned the appropriateness of such an invitation and emphasized that it was an insult to the office of the former president.
The news of the Warri refinery’s reopening has been met with skepticism from Nigerians. The NNPCL’s invitation followed an interview on Channels Television, where Obasanjo recounted failed efforts to privatize oil plants in the country. He expressed frustration over the mismanagement of refineries, noting that despite significant expenditure since 2007, no results had been achieved.
Obasanjo revealed that his successor, Musa Yar’Adua, rejected a $750 million offer from Aliko Dangote to manage the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries. He criticized the NNPCL for its limitations in managing the nation’s refineries and highlighted the significant funds squandered on the refineries without any improvement.
In response, NNPCL spokesperson Femi Soneye insisted that the refineries were operational and had undergone a complete overhaul to meet world-class standards. He extended an open invitation to Obasanjo to tour the rehabilitated refineries and witness the progress made under the new NNPC Limited.
