OBASANJO, NNPCL AND THE RELATIVE RELEVANCE OF RESPECT IN DISRESPECT

OBASANJO, NNPCL AND THE RELATIVE RELEVANCE OF RESPECT IN DISRESPECT

By Bala Ibrahim

For starters, let me say Happy New Year to everyone, including the grandfather of Nigeria, former Head of state, former President and former member/leader of the former biggest political party in Africa, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olusegun Matthew Okikiola Ogunboye Aremu Obasanjo, GCFR. Since last week, when, in what everyone saw as a significant milestone for Nigeria’s energy sector, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPCL, announced the re-opening of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, after several decades of oil dehydration, those conversant with Baba Obasanjo’s idiosyncrasies, say the man is liable to be restless for a long time, and the reason is simple-the breakthrough has punctured his negative prediction. According to Obasanjo, NNPCL is incapable of maintaining Nigeria’s refineries.

In an interview on Channels Television, Obasanjo recounted the several failed attempts made by him as President to privatise oil plants in the country, expressing frustration over the mismanagement of refineries, despite significant expenditure since 2007. He said, no results had been achieved and nothing would be achieved, as long as the job is being handled by the NNPCL. According to Obasanjo, the NNPCL was aware of its limitations in managing the nation’s refineries but it is being economical with the truth. Even his successor, late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was not spared by Obasanjo. He said Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, rejected a $750m offer from the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, to manage the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries. As far as Obasanjo is concerned, anyone who turns down his advise, is destined for doom. And the NNPCL can not be an exception.

We’ll, they seemed determined to prove him wrong. By the Warri Refinery’s return to operation, shortly after the restart of the 60,000 barrels per day Port Harcourt Refinery, President Tinubu’s administration has recorded a major achievement, which can serve as a gift to Nigeria for the New Year, 2025. To increase the strength of that position or even justify that excitement, unlike Obasanjo, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reacted thus:

“The restart of Warri Refinery today brings joy and gladness to me and Nigerians. This will further strengthen the hope and confidence of Nigerians for a greater and better future that we promised”-PBAT.

Also, in their reaction, the NNPCL, through its spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, invited the former president for a tour of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, with a view to letting him see and understand the difference between optimism and pessimism. The optimist works with hopefulness and confidence about the future and sees the success of something. And that is the NNPCL under the watch of President Tinubu. On the other hand, the pessimist sees the worst aspect of things and believes that the worst will happen. And that is our own Baba Obasanjo here.

Obasanjo’s pessimism was further demonstrated yesterday, when he slammed the invitation by the NNPCL as disrespectful. What is disrespectful about an invitation to visit and see first-hand? Speaking through his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo said the oil company had not sent any formal invitation to him as of Thursday, January 2, 2024. “Is that the right way to invite a former president of the country? Who says Baba has even seen the statement or read the news? It is a total disrespect for the office of the former president”

Methinks that reaction is inappropriate. Obasanjo’s remarks were on the media. NNPCL reacted through the media. To me, that’s a quid pro quo. Period. Some politicians are always worried about their relevance. They always want to remain relevant, because they know, if they are no longer relevant, they may not keep their name. Especially for someone like Baba Obasanjo, who sees Nigeria and everyone in Nigeria as his grandson. Scholars say, the best way to deal with disrespectful people is to ignore them. If indeed he felt disrespected by that response, why not ignore them? In many situations, ignoring disrespectful people can be an effective way to deal with them, as it removes the power they might seek by provoking a reaction from you. That’s the position of the philosophers.

And that’s one position I think, Obasanjo would have taken, to appreciate the relative relevance of respect in disrespect.

OBASANJO, NNPCL AND THE RELATIVE RELEVANCE OF RESPECT IN DISRESPECT