Former President Olusegun Obasanjo said NNPC rejected an offer of $750 million from Aliko Dangote to run Port Hacourt and Warri refineries during his administration.
In an exclusive interview with Channels Television, Obasanjo narrated how Shell Petroleum Company turned down his invitation to run the refineries and how his successor retuned $750 million to Aliko Dangote for a PPP (Public-Private-Partnership) in running the refineries.
When asked “if the revamping of the Warri and Port Harcourt refinery are signs of better days to come”, Obasanjo in a proverb said that the NNPC lies about the state of the refineries.
“When I was President, I wanted to do something about the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries. Aliko Dangote got a team after SHELL has refused to equip and run or only run the refineries”
Obasanjo said he called the Boss of Shell to tell him what the problem is, and he gave him five reasons which include: their not being so much interested in the upstream, low output capacity of the refineries, poor maintenance, and the corruption around the activities of the refineries and would not want to get involved in that.
“And when anybody tells you something like that, what would you do?”
“It was after that Aliko got a team together and they paid $750 million to take part in PPP in running the refineries and my successor refunded their money.”
“I went to my successor and told him what transpired, but he said, NNPC said they wanted the refinery and that they can run it. And I told him – but you know they cannot run it.”
“I was told not too long ago that since that time that more than $2 billion have been squandered on the refinery and they still will not work”
“If a company like shell tells me what they told me, I will believe them.” “Whether we announce our own government refinery working or not working, it is like a saying in Yoruba – A man who plants hundred hips of yam and says he has planted two hundred hips, they say after he has harvested hundred hips of yam will also harvest hundred hips of lies.”
Whether we announce our own government refinery working or not working, it is like a saying in Yoruba – A man who plants hundred hips of yam and says he has planted two hundred hips, they say after he has harvested hundred hips of yam will also harvest hundred hips of lies.”
