There’s formidable gang-up to take me out of NNPC –Ojulari

MaTaZ ArIsInG
Dallas, Texas

…Says massive losses crippled refinery operations

From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja

The Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Mr. Bayo Ajulari, has raised the alarm that the current management of the company is under intense attack due to reforms aimed at sanitising the system and driving transformation in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

Ajulari disclosed this during a courtesy visit by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) in Abuja on Thursday.

He revealed that several members of the company’s leadership team, including the Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice Presidents and other senior officials, have also faced court actions, petitions and harassment from various quarters.

“We are under attack. And I repeat again, NNPC, we are under attack. There is no hiding around all the attacks that I have received and all the plans to take me out of the seat. Let us not pretend. It is a real formidable plan. So, anybody that tells you that it’s fake, it’s not fake. It’s true,” he said.

According to him, prior to the shutdown, the refineries were guzzling between $300 million to $500 million monthly with dismal output results. He revealed that while NNPC was supplying up to 150,000 barrels of crude oil daily, the plants were only yielding about 40 percent in refined output, and much of that was mid-grade products that could not meet market standards.

“Only half of the refinery was working. The way it was designed, the old and new units are supposed to function as one system. Operating one without the other was setting us up for failure,” he explained.

He attributed the dire situation to decades of neglect, likening the state of the facilities to an old car that had been parked and abandoned for years without maintenance.

Ajulari further disclosed that technical and commercial reviews of all three refineries have now been concluded. For the Port Harcourt refinery, in particular, he said NNPC is pursuing a strategic partnership with a professional refining company to co-run the facility on a commercially viable basis.

“It is not just about getting them to work. They must be profitable or at least break even. We are not going to throw public funds into a pit again.” He stressed.

He appealed to contractors, traders, and other stakeholders benefitting from the refineries to exercise patience as efforts are made to restructure the operations for long-term sustainability.

Earlier in his remarks, PENGASSAN President Festus Osifo said the union’s visit was primarily to appreciate the NNPC leadership for their support and presence at the recently concluded PENGASSAN Energy and Labour Summit.

Osifo noted that since its inception in 2022, the summit has continued to add strategic value to industry discourse, with the communique expected to guide future policy decisions of government, regulators and International Oil Companies.

He also commended the successful conclusion of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, describing it as historic for including a procedural clause for the first time. While acknowledging that expectations may differ, he stressed that the union recognized the management’s pragmatism and good faith.

He lauded improvements in pipeline security and crude oil production volumes, attributing the progress to deliberate efforts rather than chance.

However, he raised concerns over the state of Nigeria’s refineries, and urged the management to consider adopting the NLNG model by involving private investors to reduce political interference.

The PENGASSAN president pledged the union’s full support to Ajulari and the NNPC management, saying the prosperity of the company and the nation would directly translate into the well-being of its members.

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