By Jane Okafor, Abuja
ABUJA; The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has extended an invitation to former President Olusegun Obasanjo for a tour of the Port Harcourt Refinery to verify its operational status.
The Daily Crucible reports that the challenge followed the elder statesman’s interview with Channels Television, where he recently reiterated advice from Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to the effect that the refinery would not function effectively for a quartet of reasons.
Obasanjo had in the interview which was aired earlier today, Obasanjo touched the issues of the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries during his presidency(between 1999 and2008) and recounted how he sought help from Shell to revive them but the oil firm giant refused.
He also recalled that when Shell turned down the proposal, he approached the Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, who assembled experts and paid $750 million to operate the refineries through a public-private partnership but that was equally frustrated.
Obasanjo even expressed skepticism about the refinery bouncing back to operations again and deployed a Yoruba proverb to allege that NNPCL was misleading Nigerians about the refinery’s functionality.
He said, “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.
“Later on, I called them. I called the boss of Shell to come and tell me what the problem was and he gave me four or five reasons. He said, first of all, they make a major profit from upstream, not from downstream. He said they run downstream just to keep their head above water.
“Two, our refineries were too small: 60,000 barrels 100,000 barrels and I think 120,000 barrels. He said that at that time, the average refinery was going for 250,000 barrels.
“Three, he said our refineries were not well maintained. Four, he said that there was too much corruption around the activities of our refinery and they would not want to get involved in that.
“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.
“I was told not too long ago that since that time, more than two billion dollars have been squandered on the refinery and they still will not work.
“If a company like Shell tells me what they told me, I will believe them. If anybody tells you now that it is working, why are they now with Aliko? And Aliko will make his own refinery work; not only make it work, he will make it deliver.
“They say after he has harvested 100 heaps of Yam, he will also have 100 heaps of lies. You know what that means,” Obasanjo said.
However, countering the ex – president’s claims, the NNPCL’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Mr. Olufemi Soneye, respectfully invited Obasanjo to visit the facility, harping on the company’s commitment to transparency and accountability.
Not done, Soneye also invited the ex – President to join the NNPCL team in its avowed determination to guarantee the nation’s energy security.
“Furthermore, we extend an open invitation to President Obasanjo for a tour of the rehabilitated refineries to witness firsthand the progress made under the new NNPC Limited.
“We invite our esteemed former president to join us in this effort as we continue to deliver energy security for our nation and provide tangible benefits to Nigerians.
“His wisdom and experience are invaluable, and we assure him that his advice will always be welcomed and appreciated.
“As part of this transformation, NNPC Limited has gone beyond oil and gas to become an integrated energy company.
“One of our notable achievements is the complete rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PhRC) and Warri Refinery.
“This process was not merely the Turnaround Maintenance (TAM) of the past but a full-scale overhaul designed to meet world-class standards. Similarly, we are currently conducting the same comprehensive rehabilitation of the old Port Harcourt Refinery and Kaduna Refinery.”
According to Soneye, NNPCL has evolved from being a government corporation to a private entity with limited liability, also having moved on from being a loss-making organization to profit -driven international energy firm.
The new NNPC Limited, he said, is committed not only to enhancing these refineries but also to maintaining them to global standards.
He said: “Regarding his recent comments, we would like to respectfully clarify the current state of the NNPC.
“The NNPC has undergone a transformative journey, evolving from a government corporation into a private entity—NNPC Limited.
“This transition has marked a significant shift from being a loss-making organization to a profit-oriented global energy company.
“We deeply respect and hold President Obasanjo in the highest regard as a distinguished statesman who has contributed significantly to the progress of our nation.
“He has every right to share his perspectives on national issues, and we value his insights and counsel.
“We remain grateful for his leadership and enduring commitment to the growth and development of Nigeria. Together, we can continue to build a brighter future for our great nation.”
Soneye, also said there was no need to react to a media report that NNPCL was to stop the supply of crude oil to Dangote Refinery, dismissing the report as falsehood.
“No need to respond to falsehood,” he said.
