The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has criticised the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Bayo Ojulari, over his recent remarks concerning the Port Harcourt refinery.
The association faulted Ojulari for suggesting that Nigerians should be grateful for the Dangote refinery, arguing that the success of a privately owned facility should not be used to justify the continued failure of government-owned refineries.
Ojulari had earlier stated that the Dangote refinery provided Nigeria with a “breathing space” at a time when state-owned refineries were shut down. He also noted that the Port Harcourt refinery was incurring heavy losses, which contributed to its closure.
Reacting in a statement issued on Wednesday, PETROAN’s National Public Relations Officer, Joseph Obele, acknowledged the strategic importance of the Dangote refinery but stressed that private investment cannot replace the responsibility of government institutions to manage national assets effectively.
According to Obele, while Dangote refinery operates as a profit-driven private venture, NNPC holds public assets in trust for Nigerians and must not excuse its shortcomings by pointing to private sector achievements.
He warned that repeated public admissions of incompetence by NNPC leadership could damage investor confidence, weaken Nigeria’s energy security, and undermine efforts aimed at boosting domestic refining, stabilising fuel prices, and creating jobs.
Obele described as troubling Ojulari’s assertion that there was no urgency to restart the Port Harcourt refinery because Dangote refinery is currently meeting Nigeria’s fuel needs.
He said such comments were unacceptable and reflected leadership that is not focused on solutions.
PETROAN further warned that Nigeria must not normalise institutional failure and stressed that acknowledging shortcomings is only meaningful when followed by accountability, reforms, and a credible plan for improvement.
Obele disclosed that the association would begin engaging civil society organisations and other stakeholders to explore legal steps toward demanding Ojulari’s removal if the Port Harcourt refinery fails to resume operations on or before March 1, 2026.
He added that continued shutdown after large sums spent on rehabilitation could lead to equipment deterioration, corrosion, and eventual collapse of the revamp effort without urgent action.
