NEWS
Ojulari’s Future as NNPCL’s GCEO in Turbulent Political Waters
The political waters in Nigeria appear to be in high currents at state oil major, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), with the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Bayo Ojulari, facing allegations of reckless spending and funding the opposition.
The allegations, Biztellers gathered, have cast doubts on the tenure of Ojulari, who was said to be acting through a crony.
An online news platform had on Sunday reported that Ojulari was forced to resign in controversial circumstances, a claim that has been denied in some quarters.
President Bola Tinubu, had on April 2, 2025 appointed Ojulari, a former Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production (SNEPCO), Limited as the GCEO of NNPC Ltd following the sack of the erstwhile management led by Mele Kyari.
But, four months into the saddle of leadership at NNPCL, all appears not to be well as series of allegations have been levelled against the GCEO.
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It was alleged that Ojulari since assuming office, rather than cut cost has been living an extravagant lifestyle, thus putting a strain on the finances of the state oil major.
“Since assuming office just over three months ago, Ojulari has not boarded a single commercial flight. Instead, the state oil company boss has indulged in a jet-set lifestyle more befitting a billionaire playboy than the head of a struggling national energy corporation.
“Less than two weeks into his role, Ojulari reportedly jetted off to Paris aboard a private aircraft, accompanied from Paris, the jet roared off to London where Ojulari met the President — an early glimpse into the GCEO’s taste for flamboyance,” a source said.
The source claimed that while the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, flew British Airways to Vienna for a seminar organised by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the NNPC Boss went to the same venue in far away Austria in a chartered private jet.
“Yet perhaps the most galling display came in July, when Ojulari flew to Vienna, Austria aboard another private jet to attend the International OPEC Seminar. While Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum flew on British Airways, Ojulari’s journey reportedly cost NNPCL close to $1 million,”.
Earlier in May, while Nigeria’s oil output plummeted and NNPCL’s operational struggles mounted, Ojulari was said to have been spotted in Bologna, Italy on yet another private visit.
But the gallivanting lifestyle didn’t end there as sources confirmed a luxury detour to Monaco to attend the Formula 1 Grand Prix, sipping rare champagne while Nigeria’s refineries remained comatose.
Weeks later, the extravagance reached a crescendo. To mark his 60th birthday, Ojulari reportedly chartered two private jets to Dubai, turning the desert city into a lavish playground. One of the jets, according to insiders, ferried in “his ladies”, while a fountain of Dom Pérignon, single malt whiskies, and vintage cognac flowed throughout the weekend. “It was like a royal coronation,” said a source present at the party.
“Imported chefs, luxury hotels, Rolexes exchanged as party souvenirs, this man lives like oil wells are buried in his backyard.”
However, the last straw that broke the camel’s back is the reported link of Ojulari to Abdullahi Bashir-Haske, the founder and Group Managing Director of AA&R, who is married to the daughter of Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice-President.
Bashir-Haske, Atiku’s son-in-law, reportedly enjoyed regular NNPC patronage when Maikanti Baru was NNPC’s Chief Executive from 2016 to 2019. Baru died in 2020 during the COVID pandemic.
Kyari, who was the Group General Manager of the crude oil marketing division of the national oil company, succeeded Baru.
When he took over the reins, Kyari was reportedly unhappy with Bashir-Haske and subsequently cut him off from NNPC patronage.
Bashir-Haske, however, continued to do business with Ojulari, who was operating in the oil sector in various capacities, notably as MD of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) and later as founder/chairman of BAT Advisory & Energy Company Nigeria Ltd.
BAT Advisory & Energy advised Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited in its $2 billion takeover of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC).
Following his appointment as NNPC GCEO in April, Ojulari restored all the privileges Bashir-Haske had been denied by Kyari.
Some of the transactions between NNPC and Bashir-Haske were flagged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), TheCable reported.
The anti-graft body has questioned Bashir-Haske, accusing him of orchestrating “large-scale money laundering through sophisticated financial structures”.
There are now allegations that NNPC was, perhaps inadvertently, funding the opposition through him.
A Nigerian police officer identified as Newton Isokpehi has sparked widespread reactions online after publicly apologising for threatening Nigerians who film police officers while on duty.
The officer came under heavy criticism after a viral video showed him warning that he would “clear everybody down,” including bystanders near anyone recording him during official duty.
Following the backlash, Isokpehi released a video on Thursday pleading with Nigerians and rights activist Harrison Gwamnishu for forgiveness, saying his earlier comments were made out of anger and frustration.
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“Please forgive me. If I offended you as a brother, forgive me. That statement was just out of annoyance because of the things that are happening,” he said.
Speaking in Pidgin English, the officer clarified that he was not against citizens filming police officers, noting that Nigerians have the right to record security personnel while carrying out their duties.
“Actually, you can video us. You are allowed to video a policeman. But it’s not right for just anybody to come from anywhere and start videoing officers on duty,” he stated.
Isokpehi, who disclosed that he hails from Edo State and was raised in a police barracks in Kaduna, described himself as a committed officer who has spent over 12 years serving in the Mobile Police unit.
The officer also displayed several scars and gunshot wounds on his body, claiming they were sustained during dangerous operations while serving the country.
“Out of 17 of us, only two survived that operation. We have suffered in this work,” he said emotionally.
Attempting to walk back his earlier remarks, Isokpehi insisted he never intended to harm civilians.
“How can I be saying I will kill my own people? We don’t do that. I spoke out of annoyance. That one was just verbal talk,” he added.
He further appealed directly to Gwamnishu and Nigerians, admitting that the controversy had escalated beyond what he expected.
“Harrison, forgive me. I beg the whole of Nigeria, please forgive me. This one has reached too far,” he pleaded.
The apology has continued to generate mixed reactions online, with many Nigerians condemning the officer’s initial comments while others expressed sympathy over the harsh conditions faced by security personnel.
Nigerian socialite and businessman, Cubana Chief Priest, has explained why he shifted his political support from former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu following the 2023 general elections.
Speaking during a livestream session with popular streamer Peller, the celebrity businessman said his decision was motivated by a desire to avoid repeated political disappointment.
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He stated that he no longer wanted to back a candidate who might lose, saying he made the switch after the last election experience.
“Because I don’t want to lose again because they say first fool no be fool na the second fool be proper fool,” he said.
Cubana Chief Priest also claimed that President Tinubu remains cautious about him due to his past political alignment with Peter Obi and his ethnic background.
According to him, the President does not fully trust him because of his previous support for the opposition during the 2023 polls.
“President Bola Tinubu no really trust me as an Igbo man that I am. He look me with one eye because he believes that this one that worked for Peter Obi, before at the last election,” he added.
He further dismissed the chances of Peter Obi in the 2027 presidential election, describing him as “not serious” and insisting that only “serious people” would emerge victorious.
The comments have since generated widespread reactions on social media, with critics accusing him of political opportunism, while others argue that his position reflects the realities of Nigeria’s winner-takes-all political system.
Cubana Chief Priest was a vocal supporter of Peter Obi and the Labour Party during the 2023 elections but later aligned with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
He currently serves as the Imo State Coordinator of the Pro-Tinubu City Boys Movement and has become more active within APC circles.
He had also obtained an APC House of Representatives nomination form but later withdrew from the primary election on the day of the exercise.
The Yobe State Specialist Hospital has recorded a major medical breakthrough after successfully performing its first-ever lower jaw surgery, a development described as the first of its kind in North-Eastern Nigeria.
The complex procedure, known as a segmental mandibulectomy with reconstruction, was carried out on a 40-year-old female patient suffering from mandibular ameloblastoma, a tumour affecting the jawbone.
Speaking on the achievement, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Professor Usman Abba Giedam, said the surgery marked a significant milestone in the state’s healthcare sector.
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According to him, the operation involved the removal of a diseased section of the patient’s lower jaw and a sophisticated reconstruction using reconstruction plates and an iliac crest bone graft.
The surgery was led by Dr. Muhammad Ayuba Fusami with support from Dr. Peter Umejiego.
Giedam revealed that the patient is currently recovering well and responding positively to treatment following the successful operation.
He noted that the achievement reflects the growing capacity of the hospital to handle highly specialized medical procedures that previously required referrals outside the state.
The CMD also credited the administration of Mai Mala Buni for investing in healthcare infrastructure, medical equipment, and skilled manpower development across the state.
He added that the hospital remains committed to advancing specialized healthcare services and improving access to quality medical care for residents of Yobe State and the North-East region.
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