*** We’ve stepped on toes, says minister
The House of Representatives has begun probe of the alleged re-allocation last year and earlier this year, of oil mining licences by Shell Petroleum Development Corporation (SPDC) and Chevron under the supervision of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources without due process.
The House’s ad hoc committee on the ‘Inadvertent Sales of Oil Mining License 29 and others,’ headed by Hon. Aminu Suleiman (APC-Kano), in a letter to the Ministry of Petroleum Resources on April 3, 2015, asked the ministry headed by Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke and the Department of Petroleum Resources to account for the divestment of 45 per cent of Shell Petroleum Development Corporation’s interest in OML 29 and other OMLs.
Oil and gas sector laws stipulate that such a transaction must toe the due process line, and signature bonuses (commission) derived from the business paid to the federation account by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources. It is however doubtful if the processes were followed.
The committee at the opening of the hearing which was held in camera at the National Assembly Complex today, sought to know, at a scheduled hearing that would round off today, whether the signature bonuses on divestments in 15 oil wells of SPDC and Chevron followed due process.
But a document obtained by National Mirror yesterday detailed that 15 oil blocs were allocated to different companies by SPDC and Chevron, with the supervision of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
OML 29 was allocated to Aiteo Oil by SPDC; OML 4 was allocated to Seplat by SPDC; OML 18 was allocated to Eroton by SPDC; OML 24 was allocated to Newcross by SPDC; OML 26 was allocated to AFREN/ FHN by SPDC; OML 27, to Aiteo by SPDC; OML 30 to Shoreline by SPDC; OML34 was allocated to N/western by SPDC; OML 38 was allocated to Seplat by SPDC, OML40 was allocated to Elcrest by SPDC; OML41 was allocated to Seplat by SPDC and OML 42 was also allocated to NECONDE by SPDC.
However, OMLs 52, 53 and 55 were allocated to Amni, Seplat and Belema by Chevron.
The oil licenses or oil blocks re-allocated to these companies was done between last year and earlier this year without the consent of the National Assembly as provided in Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution.
The House at its plenary on Tuesday, May 27, 2014, passed a motion, calling for the probe of the inadvertent sale of OML29 and others to major oil companies. The House alleged that the transaction breached the laws of the federation.
Recall that an ex-Central Bank governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, lost his job for blowing a whistle on alleged non-remittances of proceeds from business transaction in the oil sector. Besides, many oil sector watchers have persisted in calls on the government to operate the sector more transparently.
Meanwhile, Alison-Madueke yesterday said she stepped on many toes in the cause of reforming the oil industry.
The minister, while speaking with State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa said the cabals in the oil industry were not happy that she opened up the industry to Nigerians.
According to her, she had been maligned and castigated for her efforts to ensure that the oil industry was brought back to perform optimally in the interest of the nation and all Nigerians.
Alison-Madueke said: “We have done enough for this industry; we cannot please everybody. Yes, we have stepped on toes but we did that in the best interest of Nigeria and we have opened up the oil and gas industry to all Nigerians; thousands of Nigerians have benefitted from our reforms in the system.
“I have said severally that we will open up the industry to all Nigerians and we have, but that is not to the pleasure of certain cabals and I have been continuously maligned because of this and we have taken millions and in fact billions of dollars out of the hands of multinationals and their subcontractors and put them in the hands of Nigerians through the Nigerian Local Content Act. Hundreds of thousands of Nigerians have come into the oil and gas industry because of our reforms”
“I think as unprecedented as it is, it does not please everybody and that cannot be helped but let us remember the unprecedented reforms that have happened in the oil industry during our time such as major gas reforms, the Petroleum Industry Bill, which has been completely revised, reformed and put into the hands of members of the National Assembly where it has languished for two years,” she added.
The minister explained that she has done the best she could for the country and attained many firsts in the history of oil and gas industry especially in the reforms that had taken place.
She denied reports that she was on the run on account of her activities and some actions she had taken while in charge of the petroleum sector, explaining that she had not committed any offence.
“Let me state clearly for the records that Nigeria is my country and I am not going anywhere. I love my country and I do think that I have done the best for my country,” Alison-Madueke said.
While speaking on the directive by the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation ( NNPC) should refund about $1.48 billion, Alison- Madueke said the Price Water House Cooper forensic audit carried out few weeks ago, in its recommendations mentioned that $1.48 billion was owed by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) Limited for a block that had earlier been assigned from the NNPC to NPDC which is its subsidiary.
Alison-Madueke, however, denied that she had been meeting with some former Heads of State, including General Abdusalami Abubakar to protect and save her name.
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