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Obasanjo stirs up hornet’s nest, says ‘NNPCL refineries may never work again’
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In what can be considered as controversial statement and in line with his characteristic stance that usually attracts divergent views, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has disclosed that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna many never work again in spite of the NNPCL’s efforts to secure technical partners for the refineries.
Speaking during a televised interview on Sony Irabor Live , Obasanjo pointed to structural and historical challenges that, in his view, have continued to undermine the refineries’ performance.
He said, “One of the lessons that I learnt is that PPP (public-private partnership) works. Look, one project that has not been destroyed by the government in Nigeria is the NLNG (Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas), where the private sector has 51 per cent, and the Nigerian government has 49 per cent.
“See what we did with Nigerian railways. See what we did with the national shipping company. See what we are doing now, even with the NNPCL . The NNPCL has refineries, and I said to people that it may never work. And a man had the audacity to say, ‘Am I a chemical engineer?”
The former president recalled past attempts during his administration to attract global operators, including Shell, to manage the refineries under a partnership model. According to him, those efforts did not yield results.
“Look, when I was there, I called Shell. I said, ‘Look, please, I beg you, come and take 10 per cent equity and run the refinery for us.’ They said no. I said, ‘Okay, if you don’t want to take equity, don’t take equity. Come and run the refineries. They said no,” he stated.
He further explained that discussions with company officials highlighted commercial and operational concerns that influenced their decision.
“So, I called him, and I said, ‘Tell me, be honest with me. Why don’t you want to handle this?’ He said first, they want to let me know that they make most of their profits on the upstream, not the downstream.”
He said they run their downstream without making a loss, but they don’t make a lot of profit from it. It’s more of a service than a major profit-making. So that’s number one.
“Number two: he said our refineries are too small. This was when I was an elected President. He said our refineries are too small. One is 60,000 barrels, and another is 100,000 barrels. He said refineries at that time were in the range of 250,000 barrels to 300,000 barrels. Number three: he said our refineries are not well-maintained. We call quacks and amateurs to come and maintain our refineries. The refineries are not in good order. He said, ‘Number four, there’s too much corruption around our refineries, and they don’t want to be part of that,” Obasanjo explained.
Obasanjo also revisited a previous transaction involving the Dangote Group, led by Aliko Dangote, which he said offered a pathway for private sector participation at the time.
“Until one day, Aliko (Dangote) came and offered $750m to take two of the refineries; that will be 51 per cent. I said, ‘Wow, God, you are really a God of miracles.’ I told Aliko to bring the money quickly. They brought the money, and they paid,” he said.
He noted, however, that the arrangement did not endure beyond his tenure, following a policy reversal under his successor, the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
Obasanjo said, “When I left office, NNPC went to my successor and convinced him. So I got up. I went to Umar. I said, ‘Look, Umar, maybe you don’t know; this is why we did what we did.’ He said, ‘Well, NNPC came to me.’ I said, ‘But you know that NNPCL cannot run this thing. He said he knew. I asked, ‘Then why did you give in? He said because of pressure. And I said, ‘Look, when you sell these refineries, you will not get $200million for them, because you will sell them as scrap.’”
Obasanjo further referenced recent disclosures by the current NNPCL leadership, noting that , “Only the present NNPCL head has told the country the truth. But in the meantime, I was told that they have spent about $16bn, which is only $4bn short of what Aliko used to build Africa’s largest refinery,” the former President said.
The current Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Bayo Ojulari, had earlier indicated that despite rehabilitation efforts and the brief reopening of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries in 2024, the facilities remain below global performance benchmarks, affecting their competitiveness.
In November 2025, NNPCL set a June 2026 target to conclude the selection of technical partners, a move seen as part of broader reforms to improve efficiency and output.
Meanwhile, Dangote has maintained that his decision to establish a privately owned refinery followed the earlier reversal of the refinery sale, adding that the future of the state-owned facilities remains uncertain.
The Delta State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a 44-year-old popular content creator simply identified as Odogwu Asaba.
The suspect was nabbed for allegedly raping a 21-year-old girl (name withheld).
The girl was said to have committed suicide after the incident.
It was said that the deceased was lured into Asaba by the suspect under the pretence of wanting to help her.
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, confirmed the arrest on Wednesday.
It was learnt that the suspect was arrested on Tuesday at his residence in Asaba, following a petition by a human right activist, Comrade Israel Joe.
The suspect is currently in police custody and has allegedly confessed to the crime.
Warri based human rights activist, Comrade Israel Joe, commended the Delta State Police Command for the arrest, just as he insisted that justice must be seen to have been served in the matter.
News
Senator Abba Moro moves motion demands heavy deployment of security to troubled communities in Otukpo
The senator representing Benue South Senatorial District and Senate Minority Leader, Comrade Abba Moro, on Wednesday moved a motion on the renewed attacks on Benue South communities in the last few days.
Akpachi-Ugboju, Otukpo-Nobi and Ondo Ugboju communities of Otukpo Local Government Area were attacked by armed bandits on Friday, Sunday and Tuesday respectively resulting in the death of 20 persons, displacement of several persons and destruction of properties worth millions of naira.
In the motion titled, “The urgent needto stop the gruesome murder of inhabitants of Akpachi-IUgboju Otukpo-Nobi inhabitants and fresh attacks on Ondo Ugboju in Otukpo LGA of Benue State by suspected bandits”, Senator Moro lamented sustained attacks on defenceless constituents and called on government at all levels to secure the lives and properties of Nigerians, which is the primary responsibility of every government.
The motion reads;
“The Senate:
“Notes with utter dismay and heavy heart the horrific and unprovoked attacks on the peaceful, agrarian Communities of Akpachi-Ugboju, Otukpo-Nobi and Ondo Ugboju communities of Otukpo Local Government Area, Benue State, by suspected Armed Bandits between Friday, Sunday of last week and Tuesday this week;
“The primary responsibility of any government, as enshrined in Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), is the security and welfare of its citizens;
“Aware that the weekend assaults resulted in the tragic and gruesome murder of innocent, defenseless citizens, with a confirmed death toll of two (2) lives lost in Akpachi-Ugboju and sixteen (16) lives lost in Otukpo-Nobi, bringing the total number of fatalities in these two incidents to eighteen (18);
“Disturbed that aside from the lives lost, numerous members of these communities sustained varying degrees of life-threatening injuries and are currently admitted in various hospitals struggling for their lives, while properties and farmlands have been destroyed, forcing survivors to flee their ancestral homes;
“Alarmed by the sudden, coordinated, and fresh attack launched on Ondo Ugboju, July 14, 2026, which has thrown the entire local government area into a state of panic, widespread displacement, and severe humanitarian crisis with a confirmed death cases of two (2) lives lost in Ondo-Ugboju, Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State;
“Concerned that the relentless and audacious nature of these attacks suggest a deliberate attempt to decimate these communities, and if urgent security interventions are not immediately deployed, the situation will degenerate into a complete breakdown of law and order, alongside a looming food crisis as farmers are forced to abandon their farmlands out of fear for their lives.
“Accordingly resolved to (PRAYERS):
“1. Observe a minute of silence in honor of the twenty (20) innocent citizens who were gruesomely murdered in Akpachi-Ugboju and Otukpo-Nobi, and others who may have lost their lives in the fresh attack on Ondo Ugboju.
“2. Condemn in the strongest possible terms the unprovoked killings and destruction of properties by suspected bandits in Ugboju and Otukpo Districts.
“3. Urge the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), and other relevant security agencies to immediately deploy a heavy security presence to Akpachi-Ugboju, Otukpo-Nobi, Ondo Ugboju, and surrounding communities to restore normalcy, protect lives, and prevent further attacks.
“4. Mandate the Inspector General of Police to conduct a thorough investigation into the attacks, track down the perpetrators, and ensure they are brought to justice to serve as a deterrent to others.
“5. Urge the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to urgently mobilize and supply relief materials (including food, medical supplies, and shelter) to the displaced persons and the injured currently receiving treatment in various hospitals.
“6. Mandate the Senate Committees on Police Affairs, Defense, and National Security and Intelligence to interface with the heads of security agencies to evaluate their operational strategies in Benue South and ensure compliance with these resolutions.
“I so move.”
In his response, the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, GCON, sympathized with Senator Moro and the people of Benue South over the attacks. He said Nigerians deserved the right to sleep in their houses with their eyes closed and go about their lawful activities without fear.
He expressed optimism that the resolutions of the senate would be implemented to forestall future occurrence in the affected communities and indeed the entire country.
A minute silence was observed in honour of all those who died in the attacks.
The Federal Government has inaugurated a Ministerial Advisory Committee made up of economists, public finance experts and private sector leaders to strengthen economic policymaking and support the implementation of ongoing fiscal reforms.
Members of the committee include the Managing Director of Sterling Bank, Abubakar Suleiman; the Chief Executive Officer of Economic Associates, Dr Ayo Teriba; the President of the Capital Market Academics of Nigeria, Prof. Uche Uwaleke; and the Director-General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chinyere Almona, among others.
Speaking during the inauguration in Abuja, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, described the committee as a strategic partnership between the public and private sectors aimed at closing the gap between policy formulation and implementation.
He said the committee would provide independent, evidence-based advice to support government decisions and help ensure that ongoing economic reforms improve the lives of Nigerians.
According to Oyedele, the Tinubu administration has introduced major reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidy, the unification of the foreign exchange market and the implementation of tax reforms to improve fiscal sustainability.
He said the government’s priority is to ensure these reforms lead to job creation, lower inflation, improved business confidence and better living standards.
“The committee will serve as a bridge between policy design and implementation by providing practical, evidence-based recommendations that strengthen government decisions and anticipate emerging economic risks,” Oyedele said.
The minister explained that the committee would not exercise executive powers or replace any existing government institution but would provide objective analysis and practical policy recommendations.
He urged members to assess how government policies affect businesses and households and recommend adjustments where necessary.
According to him, the committee will focus on economic policy, public financial management, economic coordination and strategies to ensure reforms produce meaningful national results.
Oyedele also restated the Federal Government’s goal of achieving seven per cent annual economic growth and building a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
He praised the members for agreeing to serve without pay, describing their decision as an act of patriotism. He assured them that their recommendations would help shape ministerial decisions and government policies.
The minister also encouraged the committee to remain objective, challenge existing assumptions and base its recommendations on credible evidence rather than political considerations.
He urged members to engage with businesses, manufacturers and citizens so that government policies reflect the realities across the country.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Raymond Omachi, described the committee as a strategic platform for evidence-based economic policymaking.
Omachi said the advisory body consists of economists, public finance specialists, governance professionals, development experts and private sector representatives who will provide advice on fiscal reforms, government efficiency, stakeholder engagement and economic coordination.
He added that the committee would support efforts to strengthen fiscal sustainability, improve public confidence and advance Nigeria’s economic transformation agenda.
Omachi congratulated the members on their appointment and thanked them for offering their expertise in service to the country.
Speaking on behalf of the committee, its chairman, Abubakar Suleiman, assured that members would focus on practical and workable recommendations.
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Senator Abba Moro moves motion demands heavy deployment of security to troubled communities in Otukpo
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