By Our Reporter
The Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mr. Bayo Ojulari, has for the first time broken his much-criticised silence over major developments at the oil giant—this time on circulating allegations that he paid $1.5 million in bribes to senior security aides of President Bola Tinubu to gain access to the Villa.
In a rebuttal yesterday in Abuja, Ojulari dismissed the claims as “false, ludicrous, malicious, and existing only in the imagination of their authors.” He said he was “scandalized and at the same time amused” by the allegations, describing them as a smear campaign designed to malign his person and undermine the NNPCL.
“My initial reaction when I sighted the report was that of disbelief. Not only are the allegations wicked, wild, and spurious, they were clearly the handiwork of those who do not mean well for Nigeria,” the NNPCL boss stated.
He argued that the claims betrayed ignorance of financial reality and governance structures. “It is clear that the authors do not understand what $1.5 million is. The sensational claims attributed to unnamed sources have not been backed by a shred of evidence. As NNPCL GCEO, I do not need the permission of security details to contact Mr. President whenever I so desire,” Ojulari said.
The oil chief stressed that his leadership of the national oil company remains transparent and accountable, adding that the intention of the fabricated report was simply to mislead the public and create doubts about the integrity of NNPCL.
Asked if he would pursue legal action, Ojulari said he was already consulting his lawyers. “I am speaking with my legal team and we are exploring all available options. Nigeria is a country governed by laws. You cannot just hide under freedom of speech to concoct fictions. There must be consequences for such actions,” he said.