Emmanuel Inimgba, eastern zonal secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), has urged Bayo Ojulari, group chief executive officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, to either expedite the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery.
On May 24, the NNPC shut down the Port Harcourt refinery for maintenance.
In a statement on Wednesday, Inimgba said Ojulari should resign if he is unable to fix the refinery.
“Comr. Emmanuel Inimgba, Eastern Zonal Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), has called on the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari, to either fix the Port Harcourt Refinery immediately or resign from his position,” the statement reads.
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Inimgba expressed concerns over the delayed rehabilitation of the refinery, saying the project, which gulped $1.5 billion, “is being handled unprofessionally”.
“The refinery was shut down on May 24, 2025, for scheduled repairs of 30 days, but it’s now over 80 days without any significant activity or commitment under the administration of the new GCEO of NNPCL,” he said.
The zonal secretary noted that the refinery’s shutdown has led to thousands of job losses, affecting tanker drivers, National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Petroleum Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) staff, IPMAN workers, and host community members.
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Inimgba said fixing the refinery would create jobs, strengthen the local economy, boost fuel supply and distribution, raise government revenue, and improve living standards.
He said credible sources indicate contractors have “withdrawn from the site due to lack of funds,” and “the GCEO has not visited the refinery in four months”.
“IPMAN has expressed support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reform agenda and will not allow the GCEO’s actions to sabotage the president’s efforts,” he said.
Inimgba said if Ojulari is unable to fix the Port Harcourt refinery or demonstrate commitment to its rehabilitation, stakeholders and host communities would be left with no option but to call on Tinubu “to consider replacing him”.
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On Monday, the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) said Ojulari has not shown interest in fixing the Port Harcourt refinery.
