Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has criticized the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) for extending what he described as a disrespectful and informal invitation to tour the newly refurbished Port Harcourt and Warri refineries.

The issue arose after Obasanjo accused NNPCL of rejecting a $750 million offer from billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote to manage the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries. He criticized the oil company for declining Dangote’s proposal despite its challenges in efficiently running the facilities.

In response, NNPCL openly invited Obasanjo to visit the revamped refineries to assess their current state. However, the former president expressed dissatisfaction with how the invitation was handled. According to his spokesperson, Kehinde Akinyemi, the invitation was neither formal nor befitting of a former president’s status.

“Is this how you invite a former president of the country? Who says Baba has even seen the statement or read the news?” Akinyemi stated. “It’s a total disrespect to the office of the former president. Has NNPCL sent him any official letter as of January 2? This is an absolute insult.”

At the time of this report, NNPCL’s spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, had yet to respond to Obasanjo’s comments.

The disagreement brings attention to the lingering issues surrounding the management of Nigeria’s oil refineries and the strained relationship between the former president and NNPCL.

This incident raises important questions about how state-owned enterprises engage with national leaders and stakeholders in critical sectors like oil and gas. Whether or not this tension will lead to further dialogue remains to be seen.