People Who Want Refineries Sold Are After My Life, Ojulari Cries Out

…NNPCL Boss Claims Powerful Interests Plotting Against Him
…Vows To Pursue Reforms No Matter The Cost

By Yinka Giwa

The Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, on Thursday, raised a chilling alarm that his life and job are under siege from powerful interests determined to sell off the nation’s refineries.

Ojulari, who lamented that he is being targeted for insisting on reviving the moribund refineries in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive, said those behind the plot are bent on removing him at all costs.

The oil chief made the revelation when he received 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 efforts are ongoing to return the refineries to full capacity, with management considering the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) module as a model. He insisted that despite mounting threats to his life and that of key management staff, the reform process will continue.

He said: “I’m not hiding from anybody. I’m not a politician. I will have to learn a bit more about politics, but it’s a development plan for me, right? And I’m ready to learn.”

The NNPCL boss had, three weeks ago, been reported, falsely, to have been forced into signing a resignation letter by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Department of State Services (DSS). But Presidential Spokesman, Sunday Dare, swiftly denied the claim. “Not true,” he declared.

This came on the heels of a June 27, 2025 statement by NNPCL, which raised the alarm over moves to sabotage the company’s new leadership.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Ojulari as NNPCL GCEO on April 2, 2025, following the removal of Mele Kyari.