The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, has alleged that vested interests opposed to his reform agenda are plotting to remove him from office.

Ojulari, who raised the alarm during a meeting with the leadership of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) in Abuja, said his life and those of his management team have come under threat since he began introducing sweeping changes in the oil and gas sector.

He explained that his administration inherited refineries that were losing between $300 million and $500 million every month due to years of neglect. According to him, the facilities were unsustainable and had to be shut down to prevent further financial drain.

To revive them, Ojulari disclosed that NNPCL is considering a joint-venture arrangement modeled after the Nigeria LNG structure, bringing in experienced international refinery operators to ensure the plants run profitably.

“The reforms have unsettled entrenched interests. 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,” Ojulari said.

He assured staff that no jobs would be lost in the process, stressing that modernization of the facilities would instead create new roles and training opportunities.

On fuel supply, the NNPCL boss noted that stability had been maintained through strategic partnerships, including the company’s stake in the Dangote Refinery. He expressed confidence that within the next two to three years, at least one or two refineries in the country would be back in full operation, helping to meet rising demand across sub-Saharan Africa.

PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, commended Ojulari’s leadership and credited him with improvements in oil production and pipeline security. He pledged the union’s support for ongoing reforms aimed at stabilizing the sector.