Oil industry insiders have described allegations linking the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Bayo Ojulari, to the recent award of oil blocks as ‘deliberately false, malicious and legally unsustainable.’

Those who know declared that Ojulari neither awarded nor participated in the award of any oil block or marginal field, stressing that neither Ojulari nor the NNPC Ltd has the statutory authority to allocate oil blocks or issue petroleum licences in Nigeria.

Under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) upstream licensing is administered by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) while the authority to grant a Petroleum Prospecting Licence (PPL) rests with the Minister of Petroleum Resources.

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Consequently, the sources said any suggestion that Ojulari personally awarded an oil block, influenced the allocation process or used his position to secure a field for any individual or company is not only unsupported by evidence but fundamentally inconsistent with the law.

“This allegation collapses under the slightest scrutiny,” a senior industry official said. “Ojulari did not conduct the bid process, evaluate applicants, select winners or award any oil block. He had absolutely no statutory role in the exercise. Those spreading this narrative know this, but they are deliberately misleading the public.”

They stated that powerful interests threatened by the reform programme of the NNPC Ltd’s leadership are allegedly behind a coordinated campaign to discredit Ojulari and force him from office, according to industry sources familiar with the developments.

The sources alleged that individuals whose commercial interests have been disrupted by Ojulari’s transparency drive, tighter financial controls and cost-reduction measures are supporting a group operating under the name Oil and Gas Professionals Forum (OGPF).

The group recently alleged that a company linked to Ojulari’s wife benefited from the award of a marginal oil field. However, it reportedly failed to produce corporate documents, beneficial ownership records, licensing papers or any other credible evidence establishing such a connection.

Industry insiders described the allegation as a calculated fabrication designed to stain Ojulari’s reputation, erode public confidence in his leadership and create artificial grounds for agitation against his continued tenure.

“This is not an innocent misunderstanding of the licensing process,” one source said. “It is a deliberate attempt to hold Ojulari responsible for an exercise over which he had no legal authority, no regulatory responsibility and no decision-making power.”

Sources said the attacks intensified as the NNPC Ltd’s leadership moved to improve transparency in commercial transactions, enforce financial discipline, reduce operating costs and review arrangements considered wasteful or inconsistent with the company’s commercial objectives.

They alleged that some individuals and companies that previously benefited from opaque transactions and weak institutional controls are fighting back because their interests have been affected by the reforms.

According to the sources, the strategy is to portray Ojulari as ethically compromised, weaken his moral authority and distract the NNPC Ltd leadership from implementing far-reaching institutional changes.

Since assuming office, the sources said Ojulari has pursued reforms aimed at repositioning the NNPC Ltd as a commercially driven, operationally efficient and globally competitive energy company.

“His leadership has prioritised cost reduction, improved production, stronger corporate governance, financial accountability and greater transparency across the company’s commercial operations.

“He has also demanded greater discipline in contracting and investment decisions, while seeking to eliminate waste, strengthen internal controls and ensure that commercial arrangements deliver measurable value to the company and the Nigerian people,” a source said.

Industry stakeholders said the measures have inevitably challenged entrenched interests accustomed to benefiting from questionable arrangements and weak oversight.

The insiders dismissed the claims against Ojulari as baseless, mischievous and politically motivated.

A senior company official, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly, said Ojulari had complied with the relevant asset-declaration and Code of Conduct requirements.

“The attempt to link his family to an oil-block award is false and can easily be tested against official corporate and licensing records,” the official said.

“More importantly, the GCEO of NNPC Ltd does not award oil blocks. The NNPC Ltd did not conduct the licensing exercise, and Ojulari neither selected nor approved any beneficiary. The allegation is therefore built on a false premise,” the source added.

The Edo State House of Assembly has been thrown into fresh leadership uncertainty following the resignation of its Speaker, Blessing Agbebaku, amid reported moves by some lawmakers to remove him from office.

Agbebaku’s resignation took effect on Monday, August 17, 2026, as the Assembly prepares to determine his successor.

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The development was confirmed by his media aide, Ivy Adodo-Ebojele, in a brief statement shared on Facebook.

“EDO ASSEMBLY SPEAKER RT HON CHIEF BLESSING AGBEBAKU RESIGNS,” she announced, adding that further details on the circumstances surrounding the Speaker’s resignation would be made public later.

The resignation came against the backdrop of reported moves by some members of the Assembly to initiate impeachment proceedings against Agbebaku.

However, the specific issues that may have triggered the reported impeachment moves were not immediately clear.

With Agbebaku’s departure, attention has shifted to the Edo Assembly as lawmakers are expected to begin the process of electing a new Speaker.

The development has plunged the legislature into a fresh leadership crisis and is expected to generate further political developments in the state.

Nearly 3,000 people in Badagry Local Government Area of Lagos State benefitted from the latest edition of the Vision First initiative of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo), last week.

Biztellers reports that on the first day alone, 38 patients had surgeries which restored their sights.

The beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the NNPC Ltd/SNEPCo for the treatment, saying the restoration of their sights would help reintegrate them into society.

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A total of 2,297 people were seen by the medical team of which 1,458 had eye care services with 154 surgeries for cataract and 878 spectacles dispensed. This was in addition to more than 200 general surgeries. There were long queues as people turned out early from different parts of the local government area to take advantage of the services in the five-day outreach.

SNEPCo Managing Director, Ronald Adams commented: “We believe that caring for people goes beyond business; it is a responsibility and a privilege. That is why we remain committed to supporting initiatives that strengthen communities and create lasting impact.”

The Badagry outreach was the 6th since the inception of the Vision First initiative in 2022. Late last year, the first session outside Lagos was held in Asaba, Delta State where nearly 2,000 people received healthcare.

The Vision First programme incorporates other aspects of health care such as cardiovascular screening, consultations and treatment for mild and chronic illnesses, laboratory services, pharmaceutical services and distribution of insecticide-treated nets.

The programme has been delivered in collaboration with Kolmarg Eyesight Foundation, an NGO based in Jos, Plateau State, which aims “to provide comprehensive eye care to the poor and underprivileged in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

SNEPCo, which pioneered deepwater oil production in Nigeria through the Bonga field in 2005, also supports the socio-economic development of the country through investments in education, health, employment generation and infrastructural development.