President Muhammadu Buhari has lamented the declining fortunes of the nation’s oil sector.

He expressed his sadness at the ugly turn in the nation’s oil sector at the luncheon organised in his honour on Tuesday by the Ogun State Government. The luncheon held at the proposed site of President Muhammadu Buhari Estate, along Abeokuta-Siun-Kobape-Sagamu Expressway, in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of the Ogun State.

Buhari was on a two-day visit to the state in commemoration of the state’s 40th anniversary.

Buhari, who appreciated former President Olusegun Obasanjo for appointing him then as the Minister of Petroleum, said during his three and half years tenure, both the Warri and Kaduna refineries were built.

He said, “I want to appreciate the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, for appointing me as the Minister of Petroleum. For three years he tolerated me; I really thank him for that. Within those years, we built the Warri and Kaduna refineries.

“We laid so many pipelines and then we were exporting refined petroleum products. But what do we have today? I want to stop here.”

Buhari, who left the Presidential Lodge, Ibara GRA, Abeokuta at exactly 10am, inaugurated four projects executed by Governor Ibikunle Amosun in Abeokuta.

They were the partially completed ultra-modern market, Omida; Itoku-Sapon flyover named Olufunmilayo Ransome-Kuti Flyover; ultra-modern market at Sapon; and one of the model colleges named after two educationists who hail from the state, Femi and Dotun Oyewole.

The President also turned the sod at the proposed sites of the Ogun State Judiciary complex and the estate named after him.

Buhari was later treated to a luncheon, which attracted some of the former governors of the state, royal fathers, ministers, governors, and the All Progressives Congress’ chieftains led by the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

Buhari commended Amosun for transforming the state, most especially Abeokuta, in terms of infrastructural development.

He said as a commissioned officer in 1963, his first posting was to Abeokuta, adding that the state had changed tremendously, in terms of infrastructure, that he had to rely on the governor to identify sites of some landmarks in the state while he was there.

Earlier, Obasanjo and the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, had disagreed over the age-long agitation for the creation of Ijebu State out of the present Ogun State.

The former President, who was reacting to an earlier statement by Oba Adetona who had asked him (Obasanjo) to support the creation of Ijebu State, said he would only support the creation of the state if the people of the senatorial district would agree on the choice of Ikenne as the capital of the proposed state.

The monarch, who restated his relentless demand for the creation of Ijebu State, noted that Obasanjo’s support was crucial in realising it.

Oba Adetona, however, urged President Buhari to grant the request of the people of Ijebuland, in having a state of their own.

Earlier, Buhari had paid a courtesy visit to the Alake and paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, at his palace in Ake, Abeokuta.

The monarch also expressed support for the anti-corruption crusade of the Buhari administration.

He said the President’s war against graft, which he described as a “national cankerworm,” had been acclaimed nationally and globally.

The highlight of the 40th anniversary celebration was the presentation of state recognition awards to some prominent indigenes of the state.

The beneficiaries included a statistician, Prof. Biyi Afonja, a former INEC Commissioner for Lagos and Rivers states, Olori Yetunde Gbadebo; Lotto magnate and philanthropist, Chief Kessington Adebutu, and Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, who was conferred with the award in absentia.

Obasanjo was honoured with the “Icon of all Time” award.

Dignitaries at the event included the wife of the Vice-President, Dolapo, the National Vice-Chairman, APC (South), Chief Segun Oni, the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun; and the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.

Others are the former head of the defunct Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan, governors of Oyo and Osun states, Abiola Ajimobi and Rauf Aregbesola. Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State was represented by his deputy, Dr. Oluranti Adebule.