Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has criticised the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited for its recent invitation to him, calling it disrespectful.
The invitation, issued through Olufemi Soneye, NNPC’s spokesperson, was for Obasanjo to tour the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, which had been the subject of his previous comments on mismanagement.
The invitation followed an interview on Channels Television where Obasanjo shared his frustrations regarding the ongoing issues with Nigeria’s refineries.
He recounted his unsuccessful efforts to privatise the oil plants and revealed that despite spending significant amounts since 2007, no improvements had been made.
Obasanjo explained that during his tenure, he sought a solution to the country’s refinery problems, reaching out to companies such as Shell and Aliko Dangote.
According to Obasanjo, when he invited Shell to run the refineries, the company rejected the proposal, citing operational concerns.
He further revealed that Dangote offered to manage the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries for $750 million through a public-private partnership (PPP), but his successor, Musa Yar’Adua, rejected the offer after being advised by NNPC that the corporation could handle the plants.
The former president expressed disappointment over the rejection of Dangote’s offer, emphasising that the NNPCL had failed to deliver on its promises, squandering over $2 billion on refineries that still remained non-functional.
He also noted that if Shell, a major global oil company, had turned down the management offer, he would have believed their reasons for doing so.
He confidently pointed out that Dangote’s privately owned refinery would likely be managed more efficiently than the government-run ones, stating, “I have no doubt that Dangote can manage his refinery effectively.”
In response to Obasanjo’s criticism, Soneye defended the NNPC, stating that the refineries had undergone turnaround maintenance and a complete overhaul to meet international standards.
He extended an open invitation for the former president to visit and witness the progress made. “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,” Soneye said.
However, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo’s media aide, dismissed the invitation, calling it an “absolute insult.”
Akinyemi pointed out that as of January 2, 2025, no formal invitation had been sent to the former president.
He further questioned the propriety of extending such an invitation through a public statement, stating, “Ask the NNPC 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.”
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