It is not yet uhuru for the embattled Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mr Bayo Ojulari as some stakeholders within the All Progressives Congress (APC), have demanded for his immediate sack from office.
The stakeholders on the aegis of ‘Renewed Hope Interest Defenders’ said the continuous stay of Ojulari as GCEO of the NNPC Ltd is denting the image of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The convener of the group, Obed Agu, told journalists at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, that the NNPC Ltd GCEO is frustrating the efforts of President Tinubu policies for better economic stability.
Agu pointedly accused Ojulari of deliberately abandoning discussions for a $5bn Saudi oil-backed loan initiated by the President in November 2023, but, more concerned with shutting down of Port Harcourt refinery despite the fact that it was operating at 60 per cent capacity.
The APC stakeholders said; “Ojulari’s mismanagement is one of the reasons why the 2025 budget has not been fully funded, exposing the President to unfair criticism and citizens to hardship”.
They therefore demanded the immediate sack of Ojulari and the appointment of a “competent, visionary, and unifying” replacement to restore confidence in the oil sector.
The APC stakeholders called for the restarting of the shutdown refineries, an end to wasteful foreign spending, and prosecution of all individuals implicated in past and present corruption cases in the NNPCL.
The stakeholders passed a vote of confidence on President Tinubu, but insisted that the continued stay of Ojulari in office represents the missing link sabotaging the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’.
Agu said; “President Tinubu knows what to do. He has shown he can take tough decisions. We trust he will act swiftly to rescue the nation’s oil industry from collapse”.
They also accused Ojulari of working with those considered to be opposition in addition to reports of alleged sleazes and maladministration levelled against him, stressing that anti-corruption agencies would be able to carry out their work more effectively if he is ousted from the NNPC Ltd to allow for unhindered access to vital documents.
Ojulari has come under the spotlight in the past two weeks following his reported resignation and protests by different organisations including some civil society organisations against him.
The APC ‘Renewed Hope Interest Defenders’ listed Ojulari’s sins include his arbitrary decision to shut down the Port Harcourt Refinery against advice by those running the refinery, spending huge amount of money to hire private jets provided by his business partner, allegedly spending millions of dollars to organize a management retreat in Kigali, Rwanda, lavishing government funds on foreign trips, among others.
Accordingly, the stakeholders called on President Tinubu to end his tenure as NNPLC Chief Executive officer, adding that the damage Ojulari has inflicted on the nation are quite enormous, thus unacceptable.
