Presidency Replies Obasanjo’s ‘The Refineries Would Not Work’ Statement

Presidency Replies Obasanjo’s ‘The Refineries Would Not Work’ Statement

The Presidency has responded to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s recent remarks regarding Nigeria’s oil refineries, asserting that it’s not within his purview to determine their operational status.

Obasanjo mentioned that he had made efforts during his tenure to revive the refineries, but was met with limited success.

He expressed skepticism over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s timeline for refinery rehabilitation, stating that, based on information he received from Shell during his presidency, the refineries would not be operational by December.

Read Also ‘Were They Expecting Court To Be Intimidated By Social Media?’ – Tribunal Roasts Petitioners

In response, Tope Ajayi, the Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Media and Publicity, emphasized that Obasanjo lacks the technical expertise in engineering or related fields to make such determinations.

Ajayi stressed that Obasanjo’s statements are his personal opinions, but maintained that the final verdict should be based on assessments from the engineers involved in the refineries’ rehabilitation. He urged patience until December to witness the progress.

President Tinubu had previously announced plans for the Port Harcourt petroleum refinery to commence production by December 2023, contingent on the successful completion of the ongoing rehabilitation project by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) in partnership with Italian firm, Maire Tecnimont SpA.

The refinery’s revival, if achieved as outlined by Tinubu, is expected to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on oil imports and foreign refineries. The NNPCL has been dedicated to revitalizing the refineries, which had seen limited operational activity in the past decade.