Ojulari alleges coordinated attacks against NNPC reforms

Bashir Bayo Ojulari, the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.), has alleged that the company is facing coordinated attacks from individuals and groups opposed to its ongoing transformation agenda.

Ojulari disclosed this on Thursday while receiving a delegation from the national leadership of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) at the NNPC Towers in Abuja.

“We are under attack. We will not budge to short-term pressure, as it will not be in the best interest of Nigerians. You cannot drive change without a price, and the transformation is tough,” Ojulari said.

The NNPC chief stressed that despite mounting opposition, the company remains committed to delivering on its mandate, adding that the reforms underway would ultimately benefit Nigerians.

“Patience will be required from the Nigerian people to get to the other side of change, which will benefit the country and its citizens. I am committed to staying focused on the mandate given to us by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.

Ojulari assured union leaders that management would continue to prioritise resilience and stability.

“I am overwhelmed with the support from the union executives present here. The enemies of this company and Nigerians will not win,” he added.

Reflecting on his first five months in office, Ojulari said his administration has concentrated on reviving Nigeria’s refineries.

He explained that the company is adopting the Incorporated Joint Venture (IJV) model to ensure the plants become more sustainable and profitable.

“Mr. President doesn’t pressure me to do the wrong thing. That is why we are going back to the baseline to ensure whatever we are doing, the refineries work sustainably going forward. We don’t want to pretend and just do some quick fix because there is pressure on us,” he said.