The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, has raised an alarm over threats to his life and alleged moves to remove him from office.
Ojulari linked the threats to his ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. According to him, entrenched interests feel unsettled by his push to revive refineries and overhaul NNPCL operations.
He spoke on Thursday while hosting the leadership of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), led by its president, Comrade Festus Osifo, at the company’s Abuja headquarters.
Ojulari explained that President Bola Tinubu gave him a clear mandate. The directive is to bring Nigeria’s refineries back on stream and restructure NNPCL for efficiency. He noted that the company has now adopted an operating model patterned after Nigeria LNG (NLNG), which remains profitable and transparent.
“I’m not hiding from anybody. I’m not a politician. This is a development plan, and I am ready to learn,” he said.
Despite the growing threats, Ojulari vowed to remain focused. He stressed that Nigerians deserve working refineries and a stable energy supply. Therefore, abandoning the reforms is not an option.
In response, PENGASSAN promised full backing for Ojulari. Osifo assured him that workers would resist any attempt to derail the reforms. “We will stand with management to ensure the refinery turnaround succeeds,” the union leader said.
Ojulari concluded with a firm pledge. He stated that he would not bow to vested interests, adding that transparency and efficiency must define the new NNPCL. In addition, he warned that Nigeria cannot afford another cycle of failed refinery promises.