Petroleum retailers in Eleme have expressed disappointment that the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Bayo Ojulari, did not visit the Port Harcourt refinery during his recent visit to the NLNG in the same Rivers State.

The retailers, under the aegis of the Host Communities Bulk Retailers Association of Port Harcourt Refinery, said in a statement on Tuesday that they were “shocked and disappointed that the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Bayo Ojulari, recently visited Rivers State, specifically the LNG facility in Bonny, without deeming it fit to visit the Port Harcourt refinery.”

According to them, Ojulari’s visit to Rivers State without visiting the Port Harcourt refinery is “not only a slap in the face to the workers and management of the refinery but also a clear indication of the lack of appreciation for the contributions of the refinery to the nation’s economy”.

The marketers argued that while the NLNG facility in Bonny is an important asset, the Port Harcourt refinery is a vital part of the nation’s refining capacity and deserves attention and recognition.

“A visit to the Port Harcourt refinery by Bayo Ojulari would have been a significant morale booster and motivation to the rehabilitation team and contractors working tirelessly to restore the refinery to its optimal capacity. Such a visit would have demonstrated his commitment to the success of the refinery and the well-being of its workers,” they said.

They added that the refusal to visit the Port Harcourt refinery indicates “a lack of interest in the functionality of the plant, which is alarming”. This, they said, raises questions about the management’s priorities and commitment to revamping the refinery.

“We urge Bayo Ojulari to revisit his itinerary and pay a courtesy visit to the Port Harcourt Refinery to familiarise himself with the operations and challenges of the facility,” the statement concluded.

Last week, the Eastern Zonal Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Emmanuel Inimgba, called on Ojulari to either fix the Port Harcourt Refinery immediately or resign from his position.

In a statement, Inimgba expressed concerns over the delayed maintenance, saying it “is being handled unprofessionally.” He recalled that the refinery was shut down on May 24, 2025, for scheduled repairs of 30 days.

However, he lamented that the shutdown had lasted for “over 80 days without any significant activity or commitment under the administration of the new GCEO of NNPC.”

He noted that the refinery’s shutdown had resulted in thousands of job losses, affecting tanker drivers, marketers and host community members. “Fixing the refinery would create jobs, boost the local economy, improve fuel supply and distribution, increase government revenue, enhance energy security, and improve living standards for host community members,” he said.

Inimgba stated that credible sources revealed that “contractors have withdrawn from the site due to lack of funds, and the GCEO has not visited the refinery in four months.”

While noting that IPMAN had expressed support for President Bola Tinubu’s reform, he stated that the association would “not allow the GCEO’s actions to sabotage” the president’s efforts.

“If the GCEO is unable to fix the Port Harcourt refinery or demonstrate commitment to its rehabilitation, stakeholders and host communities will have no option but to call on President Tinubu to consider replacing him,” he stated.

The NNPC could not be reached for comments, owing to its failure to appoint a new spokesperson more than a month after the resignation of Olufemi Soneye in June. Since Soneye’s exit, the state-owned oil giant has maintained public silence on media enquiries, leaving journalists and stakeholders without an official channel for responses.

Our correspondent made repeated attempts to obtain the company’s reaction, sending messages to the email address displayed on the NNPC’s official website and through its verified Facebook page. As of press time, no acknowledgement or reply had been received.

Recently, the NNPC said it officially ruled out the sale of the Port Harcourt refinery, reaffirming its commitment to completing “high-grade rehabilitation” and retention of the plant.

Meanwhile, there are reports that some workers of the NNPC Warri refinery have not been paid for the past four months. But the President of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, Williams Akporeha, declined to comment when contacted by our correspondent.

Akporeha told our correspondent to send him a text, but he has yet to reply to the message at the time of filing this report.