Either as Petroleum Minister or as Head Of State, Buhari didn’t build any of the NNPC Refinery – Babajide Kolade-otitoju
I have said publicly at least twice that President Muhammadu Buhari didn’t build any refinery.
The same way I exposed as a lie the claim by non-historians that Buhari ended the Maitatsine scourge. Maitatsine, who hailed from Cameroon, was defeated in 1980 in Kano. The operation was led by then Lt.Col. Haliru Akilu who later became General Ibrahim Babangida’s spy chief.
No man is perfect, but some people actually believe I hardly think before I make my remarks. So they rush to accuse me of misleading people. I stand by my position that Buhari didn’t build a refinery. Let’s start with Kaduna refinery.
Kaduna Refinery
The contract for Kaduna refinery was awarded in 1977. The following year (1978) Buhari was no longer the petroleum minister. How can I give him credit for building Kaduna refinery when he was only in office for months and the refinery was inaugurated three years later in 1980?
Port Harcourt
Port Harcourt refinery was inaugurated in 1965. The new Port Harcourt refinery was inaugurated in 1989 with an installed capacity of 150,000. Buhari was not in power when both refineries were built.
Warri
In 1974 the Federal Government of Nigeria took the decision to build the Warri refinery. That was before Buhari became a minister. In 1975 when the contract was awarded and the construction began, Buhari had not become a minster. The construction lasted 30 months and the Warri Refinery was inaugurated in 1978.
Before I can agree that he built a refinery he would have initiated, completed and delivered the project. I will not give credit that should go to Obasanjo and Shagari to Buhari.
It is not even our culture to give Commissioners or ministers such credit. When Ambode completes the fourth mainland bridge or the Pen Cinema flyover or the ten-lane Airport Road, nobody will give the credit to his works commissioner. Ambode the governor will get the plaudits. Buhari can’t be an exception.
Buhari didn’t build any of the NNPC Refinery – Babajide Kolade-otitoju