By Cynthia Abah
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has criticized the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), for its invitation to inspect the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, calling the approach “disrespectful.”
Obasanjo’s media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, stated that the former president was not formally invited but learned of the invitation through the media.
He described this as a blatant disregard for Obasanjo’s status.
“Is this how to invite a former leader? Who says Baba even saw the statement or read the news? This is an insult,” Akinyemi said, questioning whether any official correspondence had been sent by January 2.
The controversy follows Obasanjo’s remarks on Channels Television, where he criticized Nigeria’s refinery mismanagement.
He recalled that during his administration, his successor, Musa Yar’Adua, rejected a $750 million bid from Aliko Dangote to manage the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries.
He also suggested that companies like Shell declined similar offers because they foresaw the challenges in reviving the facilities.
In response, NNPCL spokesperson Femi Soneye insisted the refineries were operational and invited Obasanjo to assess the progress.
However, Obasanjo’s camp dismissed the offer as an insult, refusing to respond to what they termed an informal gesture.
Meanwhile, the reopening of the Warri refinery has been met with public skepticism, as many Nigerians question its functionality despite NNPCL’s assurances of global-standard upgrades.
