The NNPCL has reacted to comments credited to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in which he expressed astonishment at how the NNPC “placed its retail division under the management of OVH", a company in which Oando, headed by Wale Tinubu, owns 49 per cent.
He also alleged that the GMD NNPCL, Mr. Mele Kyari's retention in his post was a reward for his role in the deal.
A statement signed by Olufemi Soneye, Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPCL said, "The attention of NNPC Ltd. has been drawn to a press release signed by Mr. Paul Ibe, a Media Adviser to the former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. In the statement, the former Vice President was quoted to have lamented 'the criminal hijack of the NNPC by corporate cabals around the current President'.
"He was also quoted to have listed the retention of Mr. Mele Kyari as the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd as a compensation for the alleged acquisition of NNPC Retail Ltd. by OVH in which he claimed Mr. Wale Tinubu held 49% stake.
"He further alleged that the NNPC Retail Ltd-OVH acquisition deal was part of a grand scheme by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to integrate his personal business interests into Nigeria’s public enterprises at the federal level."
The NNPCL in the statement said it was setting the records straight by laying out the following. It said:
1. We are a commercially focused and profit-driven company managed by professionals who are committed to adding value to the nation.
2. Investment decisions by NNPC Ltd. Management are strictly determined on the basis of commercial viability and national interest.
3. At the time NNPC Ltd. acquired OVH in 2022, Oando (in which Mr. Wale Tinubu has equity interest), had fully divested its equity in OVH to the other partners – Vitol and Helios. Oando actually began its divestment in 2016, with Vitol and Helios coming in as equity partners, leading to the change of name from Oando to OVH. In 2019, Oando fully divested its equity interest in OVH resulting in Vitol and Helios holding 50% equity interests, respectively.
4.Upon acquisition of OVH by NNPC Ltd, both NNPC Retail Ltd. and OVH effectively became subsidiaries of NNPC Ltd. However, based on professional advice and sound commercial considerations, NNPC Ltd. opted to merge NNPC Retail Limited into OVH, and thereafter retain NNPC Retail Limited as the company name post-merger.
5. The first step of merging NNPC Retail Ltd. into OVH has been completed and the post-merger renaming as NNPC Retail Ltd. is ongoing.
6. Contrary to the false alarm raised, neither Wale Tinubu nor the President has any interest in the OVH acquisition.
7. As a businessman, the former Vice President should know that effectiveness in business leadership is best measured by balance sheets and bottom lines rather than pedestrian considerations.
8. The management of NNPC Ltd., under the leadership of Mr. Mele Kyari, has done very well in growing the company’s fortunes as shown in the 2023 Audited Financial Statement (AFS), where it reported N3.3 trillion as profit after tax.
9. NNPC Ltd. as a commercial entity is devoid of political interest and shall continue to conduct its business, full of commitment to national interest and value creation for the benefit of all stakeholders. NNPC Ltd. shall resist any attempt to draw its Board and Management into partisan politics.
In October 2022, the NNPC had announced that it acquired OVH Energy, owner and operator of the Oando branded retail service stations.
The transaction meant that OVH Energy would be merged with the NNPC Retail Limited (NRL) and it was projected to help improve the supply and consumption of natural gas based on the NNPC’s belief that the deal would add “more than 380 filling stations controlled by OVH in Nigeria and Togo to its portfolio”.
