By Atoyebi Nike
The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has criticized Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) CEO, Bayo Ojulari, for failing to prioritize the Port Harcourt refinery’s rehabilitation. PETROAN’s Eastern Zonal Chairman, Sunny Nkpe, said repairs at the Old Port Harcourt Refinery, shut down on May 24 for 30 days of maintenance, remain stalled. Contractors at the site reportedly complained of over a year of unpaid invoices, with Nkpe alleging Ojulari has not visited the facility in four months.
Nkpe claimed the delay benefits private refinery owners at the expense of jobs and stable fuel prices, urging President Bola Tinubu to intervene. He stressed that restoring operations would stabilize petroleum prices across key cities and revive local economies.
In a related development, two northern groups have dragged NNPCL CFO, Dapo Segun, before the Federal High Court in Kaduna over alleged failures in refinery rehabilitation and the controversial OVH Energy acquisition. The Arewa Community for Empowerment and Development and the Arewa Consultative Youth Movement accuse Segun of overseeing projects worth billions without delivering results, calling for his suspension, arrest, and prosecution.
The suit seeks a court order compelling the EFCC to investigate Segun, issue interim measures to step him aside, and publish findings within a set timeframe. Nigeria’s refineries have struggled for years despite multi-billion-dollar rehabilitation contracts, leaving the country dependent on imported fuel.
