Obasanjo
Rehabilitation: Obasanjo Invited on Port Harcourt Refinery Tour Amid Criticism
Amid debates over the functionality of the rehabilitated Port Harcourt Refinery, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has been invited by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to tour the facility.
Obasanjo had criticized the refinery’s operations, questioning NNPCL’s capacity to manage the nation’s refineries. In a recent interview, he revealed that his administration considered privatizing the refineries and recalled Dangote’s $750 million offer to manage the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries in 2007.
However, the proposal was rejected by his successor, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, following NNPCL’s assurances of better management.
While NNPCL’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, emphasized the company’s commitment to transparency, some Nigerians remain skeptical about the refinery’s rehabilitation.
Reactions on social media ranged from cynicism to calls for Obasanjo to witness the facility firsthand.
Soneye reaffirmed NNPCL’s overhaul of the refinery and invited Obasanjo to support their mission of ensuring Nigeria’s energy security, highlighting their transition into an integrated energy company.