Obasanjo Reacts To NNPC’s Invitation To Tour Refineries

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has criticized the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) over its recent invitation for him to tour the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, calling it disrespectful.

In a response issued through his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo described the open invitation as an affront to both his office and his person.

He pointed out that, as of Thursday, January 2, 2024, the oil company had not extended a formal invitation to him.

Read Also: NNPCL Invites Obasanjo For Tour Of Port Harcourt Refinery

“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.

“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 with a response,” Obasanjo’s aide stated.

However, the announcement of the Warri refinery’s reopening for production has been met with skepticism by many Nigerians.

It was previously reported that the NNPCL, through its spokesperson Olufemi Soneye, had invited former President Obasanjo for a tour of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries.

This invitation came after an interview with the ex-president on Channels Television on Thursday, during which he discussed the failed attempts to privatize Nigeria’s oil plants.

Obasanjo expressed frustration over the ongoing mismanagement of the refineries, highlighting that despite significant financial investments since 2007, no meaningful progress had been made.

He also recalled that his successor, Musa Yar’Adua, rejected a $750 million offer from Aliko Dangote, Chairman of the Dangote Group, to manage the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries.

According to Obasanjo, the NNPCL was aware of its inability to effectively manage the nation’s refineries but assured Yar’Adua that the corporation was capable of running them, which ultimately led to the rejection of Dangote’s proposal.

He said, “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.

“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, and I went to my successor; I told him what transpired; he said NNPC said they wanted the refinery and they could run it, and I said, ‘But you know they cannot run it.”

Read Also: Real Reason Yar’Adua Cancelled Sale Of Port Harcourt Refinery To Dangote – Falana

Obasanjo added, “But I was told not too long ago that since that time, more than $2bn had been squandered on the refineries, and they still would not work.”

He emphasized that if a company like Shell had rejected his offer to manage the refineries based on their reasoning, he would have believed them.

The former president expressed confidence in Dangote’s ability to efficiently manage his privately owned refinery, contrasting it with the government’s inefficiency.

In response, NNPCL spokesperson Femi Soneye maintained that the refineries were operational.

He further explained that the NNPCL had not only conducted turnaround maintenance on the plants but had also undertaken a complete overhaul to ensure the refineries met world-class standards.

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.”

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