I Know Tinubu Won’t Like This! Obasanjo Slams Tinubu’s Govt Again Over Nigeria’s Refineries [See What He Said]

Former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has made fresh claims regarding the operations of government-owned refineries in the country. He also questioned the ability of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to run the different refineries effectively....Read Full Article >>➤

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Channels Television on Thursday, Obasanjo challenged the claims by the Government led by President Bola Tinubu that the refineries have resumed operations. Citing a Yoruba adage, Obasanjo said those who lie about their achievements would have to look for cover-ups when the truth is eventually exposed.

During the interview, Obasanjo recalled how and why Shell refused an offer from him when he was President of as Nigeria to manage the refineries in the country.

He also recounted how his successor rejected a $750m offer by billionaire businessman, Aliko Dangote to manage the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries back in 2007 after he had negotiated the deal.

According to him, it is clear the NNPCL lacks the capacity to run the national refineries, yet rejected Dangote’s offer.

Obasanjo said, “Aliko got a team together and they paid $750m to take part in PPP (Public–Private Partnership) in running the refineries. My successor refunded their money and I went to my successor and told him what transpired. He said NNPC said they wanted the refineries and they can run it. I now said but you know they cannot run it.

“But I was told not too long ago that since that time, more than $2 billion have been squandered on the refinery, and they still will not work,” he added.

“Anybody can tell you, if a company like Shell tells me what they told me, I’ll believe them. So, if anybody tells you now that it is working, why are they now with Aliko? And Aliko will make his own refinery work. Not only make it work, he will make it deliver.

“Whether we announce our own government refinery working or not working, it is like they say in Yoruba, the man who plants 100 heaps of yam and says he has planted 200 heaps, they say after he has harvested 100 heaps of yams, he will also harvest 100 heaps of lies. You know what that means.”