OPatch - Failed to load the patch object. Possible causes are: OPatch failed with error code = 73 LsInventorySession failed: (Doc ID 1475147.1)

$ opatch napply -skip_subset -skip_duplicate

.
.
Invoking utility "napply"
Failed to load the patch object. Possible causes are:
The specified path is not an interim Patch shiphome
Meta-data files are missing from the patch area
Patch location = <path from where opatch was run>
Details = PatchObject constructor: Input file "/<path where file is being read from>/etc/config/actions" or
"/<path where file is being read from>/etc/config/inventory" does not exist.

NApply could not load patch from location '/<path where opatch was run>/'
UtilSession failed: PatchObject constructor: Input file "/<path where file is being read from>/etc/config/actions" or
"/<path where file is being read from>/etc/config/inventory" does not exist.

OPatch failed with error code 73

$  opatch apply

.
.
Failed to load the patch object. Possible causes are:
The specified path is not an interim Patch shiphome
Meta-data files are missing from the patch area
Patch location = <path from where opatch was run>
Details = PatchObject constructor: Input file "/<path where file is being read from>/etc/config/actions" or
"/<path where file is being read from>/etc/config/inventory" does not exist.

ApplySession failed: ApplySession failed to prepare the system. PatchObject constructor: Input file "/<path where file is being read from>/etc/config/actions" or
"/<path where file is being read from>/etc/config/inventory" does not exist.

System intact, OPatch will not attempt to restore the system

OPatch failed with error code 73

$  opatch lsinventory -detail

.
.
Failed to load the patch object. Possible causes are:
The specified path is not an interim Patch shiphome
Meta-data files are missing from the patch area
Patch location = $ORACLE_HOME/inventory/oneoffs/5865568
Details = PatchObject constructor: Input file "$ORACLE_HOME/inventory/oneoffs/5865568/etc/config/actions" or
"$ORACLE_HOME/inventory/oneoffs/5865568/etc/config/inventory" does not exist.

Inventory load failed... OPatch cannot load inventory for the given Oracle Home.

LsInventorySession failed: PatchObject constructor: Input file "$ORACLE_HOME/inventory/oneoffs/5865568/etc/config/actions" or "$ORACLE_HOME/inventory/oneoffs/5865568/etc/config/inventory" does not exist.

$ opatch lsinventory
.
.
.
LsInventorySession failed: Unable to create patchObject
Possible causes are:
  ORACLE_HOME/inventory/oneoffs/(patch_number) is corrupted
  No read permission to above directory
Please remove one-off entry [ <patch_number> ] from <ORACLE_HOME>/inventory/ContentsXML/comps.xml and retry if above directory corrupted,
or Please check the contents of the directory ORACLE_HOME/inventory/oneoffs/(patch_number) for read permission

OPatch failed with error code 73

NOTE:
DO NOT modify any .xml file as stated in the message above. The following bug has been filed to remove that text as it is incorrect!!
<Bug 15915571> OPATCH RECOMMENDING TO MANUALLY EDIT COMPS.XML FILE