The Nigerian Nationwide Petroleum Firm Restricted (NNPCL) has invited former President Olusegun Obasanjo to embark on a tour of the Port Harcourt Refinery (PHR) following his earlier criticism.
NNPCL provided the invitation to Obasanjo on Thursday in an announcement signed by the corporate’s Chief Company Communications Officer (CCCO), Olufemi Soneye.
Soneye was responding to Obasanjo’s claims in a latest interview with Channels Tv, the place the previous president instructed that the Port Harcourt Refinery wouldn’t perform successfully.
“We invite our esteemed former president to hitch us on this effort as we proceed to ship vitality safety for our nation and supply tangible advantages to Nigerians. His knowledge and expertise are invaluable, and we guarantee him that his recommendation will all the time be welcomed and appreciated,” he mentioned.
“Moreover, we lengthen an open invitation to President Obasanjo for a tour of the rehabilitated refineries to witness firsthand the progress made below the brand new NNPC Restricted.
“As a part of this transformation, NNPC Restricted has gone past oil and fuel to grow to be an built-in vitality firm. Considered one of our notable achievements is the entire rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refining Firm (PhRC) and Warri Refinery.
“We welcome President Obasanjo to witness the transformation of the Port Harcourt Refinery. This isn’t a mere Turnaround Upkeep, however a complete overhaul aligned with world requirements.”
Soneye added that the revitalisation of refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna underscores the corporate’s dedication to Nigeria’s vitality safety.
He defined that this course of was not merely the Turnaround Upkeep (TAM) of the previous however a full-scale overhaul designed to satisfy world-class requirements.
Equally, he mentioned the NNPCL is at present conducting the identical complete rehabilitation of the outdated Port Harcourt Refinery and Kaduna Refinery.
“Concerning his (Obasanjo’s) latest feedback, we want to respectfully make clear the present state of the NNPC. The NNPC has undergone a transformative journey, evolving from a authorities company into a personal entity, NNPC Restricted,” Soneye mentioned.
“This transition has marked a major shift from being a loss-making group to a profit-oriented world vitality firm. We deeply respect and maintain President Obasanjo within the highest regard as a distinguished statesman who has contributed considerably to the progress of our nation.
“We stay grateful for his management and enduring dedication to the expansion and improvement of Nigeria. Collectively, we are able to proceed to construct a brighter future for our nice nation.”
Soneye added that there isn’t any iota of fact within the media studies that the NNPCL has stopped the provision of crude oil to Dangote Refinery, saying: “No want to answer falsehood.”
Obasanjo had mentioned that the NNPCL as soon as rejected Aliko Dangote’s $750 million provide to handle and finish Nigerian refineries’ woes via a public-private partnership.
Recounting failed efforts to denationalise the nation’s refineries and the following monetary losses below authorities administration on ChannelsTV, Obasanjo revealed that his successor had refunded Dangote’s cash after NNPC officers assured him that the refineries may solely be managed by them.
“Aliko received a workforce collectively and so they paid $750m to participate in PPP (Public–Non-public Partnership) in working the refineries. My successor refunded their cash and I went to my successor, I advised him what transpired, he mentioned NNPC mentioned they needed the refinery and so they may run it and I mentioned however you recognize they can’t run it,” he mentioned.
Obasanjo defined how he sought exterior assist to rehabilitate and handle the services however confronted resistance, recalling: “I requested Shell to return and run it for us and Shell mentioned they wouldn’t. I mentioned, Please come and take fairness; they mentioned no. I mentioned okay, don’t take fairness, come and run it, they mentioned no.
“Afterward, I referred to as them. I referred to as the boss of Shell to return and inform me what the issue was and he gave me 4 or 5 causes. He mentioned, to start with, they make a significant revenue from upstream, not from downstream. He mentioned they run downstream simply to maintain their head above water.
“Two, our refineries had been too small: 60,000 barrels, 100,000 barrels, and I believe 120,000 barrels. He mentioned that at the moment, the common refinery was going for 250,000 barrels.
“Three, he mentioned our refineries weren’t effectively maintained. 4, he mentioned that there was an excessive amount of corruption across the actions of our refinery and they might not need to get entangled in that.”
