The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has faulted recent comments credited to the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, Engr. Bayo Ojulari, describing the re-operationalisation of the Port Harcourt Refinery and Petrochemical Company as a waste of resources.
In a press statement issued by the National Public Relations Officer of PETROAN, Dr Joseph Obele, expressed deep concern and disappointment over the remarks, which also reportedly suggested that NNPC lacks the capacity to operate refineries profitably.
Dr Obele, who is a Lecturer in Energy Marketing at Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, described the statement as troubling, demoralising, and deeply disturbing, noting that it raises serious questions about institutional responsibility, governance, and the stewardship of public resources.
He recalled that over $1.5 billion of public funds were reportedly expended on the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery, which was reopened in November 2024 but shut down again in May 2025 following alleged financial losses.
According to him, for the GCEO of NNPC to now dismiss the entire rehabilitation exercise as a waste of resources, without clear attribution of responsibility, performance audits, or accountability measures, is unacceptable to Nigerians.
“If NNPC truly lacks the capacity to run refineries profitably, as admitted by its own GCEO, then Nigerians deserve to know who advised the investment, who supervised the rehabilitation, who certified the restart, and who benefited from the contracts and operations,” Dr Obele said.
He stressed that public institutions cannot casually dismiss a multi-billion-dollar national asset as a mistake without consequences.
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The PETROAN spokesperson also criticised what he described as an over-reliance on the success of the Dangote Refinery, following remarks suggesting Nigerians should be thankful because the private refinery is meeting domestic petroleum needs.
While acknowledging the strategic importance and commendable achievement of the Dangote Refinery, Dr Obele emphasised that private investments cannot replace the constitutional and economic obligation of the government to efficiently manage public assets.
“Dangote Refinery is a private investment driven by profit and efficiency. NNPC, on the other hand, holds national assets in trust for Nigerians. One cannot be used as an excuse for the failure of the other,” he stated.
Dr Obele further warned that repeated public admissions of incompetence by NNPC leadership could erode investor confidence, weaken Nigeria’s energy security framework, and undermine years of policy efforts aimed at boosting domestic refining capacity, ensuring price stability, and creating jobs.
He called on the NNPC GCEO to recognise that his appointment was to address challenges in the sector, not to retreat behind the success of a private refinery. He described as most worrisome the assertion that there is no urgency to restart the Port Harcourt Refinery because the Dangote Refinery is currently meeting Nigeria’s petroleum needs.
“Such a statement is annoying, unacceptable, and indicative of leadership that is not solution-centric,” he said.
The PETROAN National PRO reiterated that Nigeria must not normalise waste, institutional failure, or retrospective justification of poor decisions. He stressed that admitting failure is only meaningful when followed by accountability, reforms, and a clear, credible plan to prevent a recurrence.
Dr Obele also disclosed that he intends to lobby civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders to explore legal options aimed at demanding the removal of the NNPC GCEO should the Port Harcourt Refinery fail to resume operations on or before March 1, 2026.
He warned that, given the huge sums already spent on rehabilitation, continued shutdown of the facility could lead to rust, corrosion, lack of lubrication, abandonment, and eventual destruction of installed equipment, thereby rendering the entire revamp effort futile if urgent action is not taken.
