Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has carpeted the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) over the recent invitation
extended to him, to tour both Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, describing it
as disrespectful.
Reacting to the invitation, through his media aide, Kehinde
Akinyemi, Obasanjo said such an open invitation was disrespectful to his office
and person.
He noted that the oil company had not sent any formal
invitation to him 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.
“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 news of the reopening of the Warri refinery for
production had been met with skepticism from Nigerians.
It would be recalled that the NNPCL had, through its
spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, invited the former president for a tour of the
Port Harcourt and Warri refineries.
The corporation’s invitation followed an interview on
Channels Television on Thursday, during which the ex-president recounted failed
efforts to privatise oil plants in the country.
Obasanjo expressed frustration over the mismanagement of
refineries, noting that despite significant expenditure since 2007, no results
had been achieved.
He explained that his successor, Musa Yar’Adua, rejected a
$750m offer from the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, to manage
the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries.
According to Obasanjo, the NNPCL was aware of its
limitations in managing the nation’s refineries but informed Yar’Adua that the
corporation could operate them, leading to the rejection of Dangote’s offer.
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.”
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 stressed that if a company like Shell rejected his offer to
manage the refineries based on their reasons, he would believe the company.
The former president expressed confidence in Dangote’s
ability to manage his privately owned refinery effectively, contrasting it with
the government’s inefficiency.
In response, the NNPCL spokesperson Femi Soneye insisted
that the refineries were working.
He explained that the NNPCL had not only carried out
turnaround maintenance on the plants, but also embarked on a complete overhaul
of the refineries to meet 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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