Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has criticized the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) over its recent open invitation for him to tour the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries as disrespectful.
Speaking through his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo described the publicized invitation as inappropriate and an affront to his office and person. He clarified that no formal communication had been received from the NNPCL as of Thursday, January 2, 2024.
“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 stated.
“Ask the NNPCL if, as of January 2, they have 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 with a response.”
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The invitation followed a recent interview on Channels Television where Obasanjo recounted his administration’s unsuccessful attempts to privatize the country’s oil refineries.
During the interview, the former president expressed frustration over the continued mismanagement of the facilities, noting that significant funds had been spent since 2007 with no tangible results.
Obasanjo revealed that his administration had sought private-sector expertise to manage the refineries, including a $750 million Public-Private Partnership (PPP) offer from the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote.
This proposal, however, was rejected by his successor, Musa Yar’Adua, following assurances from the NNPC that it could manage the refineries independently.
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“When I was president, I wanted to do something about the three refineries we have: Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna,” Obasanjo said.
“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.
“Aliko got a team together, and they paid $750m to take part in a PPP to run the refineries. My successor refunded their money, and I told him NNPC cannot run the refineries, but he insisted. Since then, over $2 billion has been squandered, and the refineries still don’t work.”
Obasanjo contrasted the inefficiency of government-run refineries with Dangote’s privately owned refinery, expressing confidence in the latter’s operational capacity.
Reacting to Obasanjo’s criticisms, NNPCL spokesperson Femi Soneye defended the corporation’s efforts, insisting that the refineries had undergone significant upgrades.
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“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.
Soneye highlighted that the refineries had undergone comprehensive overhauls to meet global standards, following years of turnaround maintenance efforts.
Meanwhile, the reopening of the Warri refinery has been met with skepticism by many Nigerians, with questions lingering over the long-term viability and efficiency of the country’s refinery operations.