The leadership of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) in the last few months has come under very intense pressure and public scrutiny. In fact, the current leadership of the recently appointed Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), My Bayo Ojulari, has been enmeshed in more controversy than any other we can think of before it, within the same time frame.
Appointed barely five months ago, April 2, 2025, Ojulari a Yoruba muslim from Kwara State, it is now rumoured, may likely lose his job as a result of damning allegations against him.
NNPC, as it was known before its privatisation under the Late Muhammadu Buhari, has always been a cesspool of corruption. It remains the main cash cow for corrupt government officials and their private sector collaborators. Its opaque modus operandi provides fertile ground for underhanded dealings to the detriment of the nation.
By the mere fact of being the main source of the foreign exchange earnings of the federal government, the corporation remains the beautiful bride to be courted by successive governments.
While politicians, political office holders as well as top military brass enjoy various kinds of patronage they also scheme their children and wards for appointments into the NNPC.
That perhaps may explain why it has become the norm for the presidents in recent times to want to retain the position of substantive Minister of Petroleum.
Ojulari certainly is experiencing sleepless nights and going through the most harrowing moments of his life. From his prolonged faceoff with the National Assembly over his refusal to appear before its committee, to his alleged corruption link with politically exposed individuals, to his speculated or alleged expensive frolicking around the world, to his rumoured arrest and resignation. They just seem ceaseless since his appointment.
While all of these allegations were flying around, there was sturdy silence from the man in the eye of the storm.
Finally, that silence was broken last week when he played host to a delegation from the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) at the NNPC Towers in Abuja last Thursday.
Ojulari before this assignment, served as the executive vice president and chief operating officer of Renaissance African Energy Company, as well as former managing director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Product Company (SNEPCo).
Civil society groups, including OilWatch Nigeria and the Workers’ Rights Alliance, have called for his arrest and prosecution. These groups claim that an associate, Abdullahi Bashir Haske, who is currently detained and is a son-in-law to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, allegedly confessed to holding the funds on Ojulari’s behalf.
During a press conference on July 31 at the EFCC premises, the coalition accused Ojulari of economic sabotage, pointing to the prolonged shutdown of Nigeria’s refineries and alleged plans to privatise NNPCL assets.
The groups launched a three-day protest at the National Assembly, NNPCL headquarters, and EFCC offices.
Some of these allegations revolve around a $21 million kickback scheme involving oil traders and pipeline contractors. According to reports, a whistleblower alerted the EFCC, which subsequently froze the implicated account.
Ojulari is also accused of lavish spending, including a high-cost retreat in Kigali involving private jets. There are also claims of a difficult work environment that has led to staff resignations.
While some groups are calling for Ojulari’s sack, others are rallying to his defence. Organisations like Change Initiatives and the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) have suggested that the protests are politically motivated attempts to derail his reform agenda.
They praised Ojulari’s leadership, highlighting initiatives like real-time monitoring systems, audits of opaque contracts, and efforts to stabilise fuel supply. They claim these reforms have led to a noticeable reduction in queues at petrol stations.
A coalition of civil society groups, including the Coalition of Civil Society Groups and Professionals for Good Governance (CCSGP), has also thrown its support behind Ojulari.
However, Ojulari in his response to these scathing criticisms against his person, dwelt more on conspiracy theories than directly addressing the allegations.
He told us his only “offence” was introducing reforms in the oil and gas sector in line with the mandate given to him by President Bola Tinubu to revive the nation’s moribund refineries.
He said that the reforms had unsettled vested interests, triggering coordinated attacks against him and his management team, including petitions to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Hear him: “We are under attack. It is real. There are formidable plans to take me out of this seat. But we are determined to stay focused and deliver on the mandate given to us by President Tinubu.”
He said because change always comes with a price, the NNPC Management will not succumb to such attacks. Instead, it will work for the larger interest of Nigerians.
“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 explained.
The GCEO emphasised that patience will be required from the Nigerian people at large to get to the other side of change, which will benefit Nigeria and her citizens.
He reiterated his commitment to stay focused in driving the mandate given to the team by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
How this response from him addressed the issues raised or provided answers to the corruption allegations, is heard to comprehend.
There is no doubt that there are vested interests who may be hell-bent in ensuring that the corporation does not work in the interest of those who are benefiting from the corruption that has bedeviled the NNPC.
However, Ojulari failed to tell us if it’s true that he has been reckless and flamboyant in his spending. We would like to know what his own side of the story concerning the allegations is. We also would like to know if he has any links with those being investigated as alleged.
Ojulari’s reaction to these weighty allegations did very little to dispel these rumours and allegations.
If the allegations, especially as it concerns a lavish lifestyle, are true, then Ojulari must know that in spite of what he may have achieved in office, that does not exonerate or make him any less culpable. He cannot keep such a lifestyle at the expense of the nation.
He must realise that. That he is trying to sanitise the place is the more reason he should be above board and not to live like a Saudi prince and still not expect the kind of criticisms that are now coming his way.
The usual pattern of our politicians is to always allege being victimised while copiously quoting from the Bible and the Quran when in reality they are the villain. Ojulari did nothing to dispel the allegations against him but simply played to the gallery and left the main issue unattended to.
