FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo has slammed the recent invitation the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited extended to him, describing it as disrespectful.
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.
Soneye 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.”
Reacting to the invitation in an interview with this newspaper, Obasanjo said such an open invitation was disrespectful to his office and person.
The former president, while speaking through his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, stated 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.
This newspaper called Soneye three times and sent him text and WhatsApp messages to ask if the oil company had indeed officially invited the former president.
However, Soneye did not take his calls or respond to messages from our reporter as of the time of filing this report.