Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has criticized the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) over an invitation extended to him for a tour of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, calling it “disrespectful.”
The invitation followed Obasanjo’s remarks during a Channels Television interview on Thursday, where he recounted failed attempts to privatize the nation’s oil refineries during his administration. Obasanjo expressed frustration over the mismanagement of the facilities, noting that despite significant investments since 2007, the refineries remain non-functional.
According to Obasanjo, his administration sought to involve private investors, including the Dangote Group, in managing the refineries. He revealed that Aliko Dangote’s $750 million offer to take over the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries through a Public–Private Partnership was rejected by his successor, Musa Yar’Adua, after the NNPC claimed it could handle the facilities internally.
“When I was president, I tried to involve Shell and Dangote in managing the refineries. Shell refused, but Dangote offered $750 million. Unfortunately, my successor refunded the money after the NNPC insisted it could manage the refineries. Since then, over $2 billion has been spent on these refineries with no results,” Obasanjo lamented.
In response to Obasanjo’s criticism, NNPCL spokesperson Olufemi Soneye defended the corporation, stating that substantial progress had been made in rehabilitating the refineries. “We extend an open invitation to former President Obasanjo to tour the rehabilitated refineries and witness the progress under the new NNPC Limited,” Soneye said.
However, Obasanjo rejected the invitation, describing it as improper and disrespectful. Through his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo said no formal letter had been sent to him as of January 2, 2024. “An open invitation through a public statement is not the proper way to invite a former president. It is an insult, and he will not dignify such a gesture with a response,” Akinyemi said.
Doubts Over Refinery Operations
The controversy comes amid skepticism about the operational status of the nation’s refineries. On November 26, NNPCL announced the Port Harcourt refinery had resumed crude oil processing. However, investigations by Saturday PUNCH revealed otherwise. During visits to the facility on November 29 and December 19, no activity was observed, and workers reported ongoing calibration work.
Similarly, NNPCL announced the commencement of operations at the Warri Refining & Petrochemical Company on December 31. These claims have been met with doubt by Nigerians, given the refineries’ history of inefficiency.
Public Reactions
Prominent figures and organizations have also criticized NNPCL’s approach to inviting Obasanjo. Yoruba socio-political group Afenifere’s Secretary-General, Chief Sola Ebiseni, described the move as disrespectful. “Obasanjo’s comments were insightful about the poor management of Nigeria’s refineries. Instead of addressing the issues, the NNPCL chose to politicize the matter by inviting him through newspapers, which is sheer arrogance,” Ebiseni said.
The National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties, Chief Peter Ameh, echoed similar sentiments. “Inviting a former president through newspapers is public ridicule. NNPCL must learn to do things properly. If Obasanjo said the refineries are not working, he’s only pointing out the need for private partnerships to make them functional,” Ameh stated.
Obasanjo emphasized his belief in private sector efficiency, contrasting the government’s inability to manage the refineries with Dangote’s success in establishing a private refinery. “If ShWeaell refused my offer to manage the refineries, I believed their reasons. We should have handed these plants over to private investors years ago,” he added.
As the debate over Nigeria’s refineries continues, questions remain about the transparency of NNPCL’s operations and the actual state of the country’s oil infrastructure.
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