Ojulari Denies Allegations of Oil Block Awards

Bayo Ojulari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), has been accused of awarding oil blocks, allegations that industry insiders describe as "deliberately false, malicious and legally unsustainable." Sources indicate that neither Ojulari nor NNPC has the statutory authority to allocate oil blocks or issue petroleum licenses in Nigeria, as these responsibilities fall under the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Minister of Petroleum Resources. Allegations suggesting that Ojulari influenced the allocation process or awarded oil blocks are said to be unsupported by evidence and inconsistent with the law.

Insiders claim that these accusations are part of a coordinated campaign by powerful interests threatened by Ojulari's reform initiatives aimed at improving transparency and financial discipline within NNPC. The Oil and Gas Professionals Forum (OGPF) recently alleged that a company linked to Ojulari's wife benefited from a marginal oil field award but failed to provide credible evidence for this claim.