[In more than an essay, I’ve wondered aloud here why President Jonathan MUST retain Ms. Alison Madueke without the woman oil minister having to answer a single public question on her purported deals, the reported false claims on her resume, etcetera. I wondered how Jonathan could want Nigerians – and others abroad – to take his claim to fighting the corruption cancer despite his campaign promise of bringing “fresh air” to Nigeria’s blighted political space.
President Jonathan, here’s another big scandal not only for the apparently-untouchable Madueke but the stench has reportedly touched the former president General Obasanjo and your good self.
Madueke deserves to be heard without this shield she seems to enjoy. The president cannot keep on being quiet on all these horrible tales.
Has Professor David West not recently told the world that every head of state except Abdulsalami and every oil minister is an "oil Sheik"?
How long must these go on? In a country where "real" newspapers seem to stay away from investigations like this, and even when others have done the investigations, they seem to have an unwritten instruction "from above" NOT TO touch such, this Blog must, again reproduce this for the benefit of the public.
TOLA ADENLE, Saturday, November 12, 2011]
By Citizen Reporter
After the world has discovered the true size of the 9 billion Oil block and the dealings in regard to the owners and Shell Agip bid for the oil block (http://www.businessdayonline.com/NG/index.php/news/76-hot-topic/26715-sh…).
Malabu Oil and Gas Ltd a Dan Etete company in 2005 enlisted the services of Dele Adesina & Co (http://www.deleadesinaandco.com/Cliental.htm) to help represent Malabu Oil and Gas in its case against the Government when the Government revoked the Oil license OPL 245.
This decision was taken because Dele Adesina & Co, had worked and represented the Federal Government in the past and Mr. Adesina was very close to the then Attorney General of the Federation Bayo Ojo, Obasanjo and Edmund Daukoru. Although legally Malabu was in the right but just to make sure it secured the out of court settlement between it and the Nigerian Government; Malabu signed an agreement with Dele Adesina & Co. for services of $29 million USD, out of this money Adesina was to spread substantial amounts to Bayo Ojo, Obasanjo and Edmund Daukoro, it later turned out that Edmund Daukoro wanted about $20 million USD for him self, so an additional contract was signed with Malabu to increase the the $29 million to $50 Million. So if NNPC approves the Shell/ Agip deal these players are mentioned are going to make allot of money. Some companies who have invested directly in Malabu oil and gas have already taken legal action in the USA and the UK to secure their share of the money should the government approve the $1.3 billion USD Shell/Agip deal.
In regard to the Shell/ Agip deal and the current Presidents involvement as we all know there is evidence even written about in news papers in Nigeria that the President ( Goodluck Johnathan) because of his long standing Friendship with Chief Dr. Dan Etete put pressure on Shell to solve the problems with Malabu and NNPC or face further problems in Nigeria, What people do not know is that Malabu again has through back room deals agreed to pay the President $50 million USD for his support, and Now through the same players who helped Malabu sort out the settlement issue as mentioned above, have offered $30 million USD to the current Minister of Petroleum Diezani Alison- Madueke to secure the Government approval of the Shell/Agip offer, The Minister has already collected $40 million USD from Agip for her to approve 50% of the OPL 245 License to Agip (How do you think she can buy a house for 20 million Euro in Austria). Also there is Mr. Adenuga close friend of Chief Dan Etete who is also trying to offer the Minister of Petroleum a substantial amount of money for NNPC to give up their right as operator in the Shell oil block he bid for and put in a Deposit of more than $100m USD, other groups who also bid for the Shell assets and to save the deal are also coming forward to offer the Minister of Petroleum serious money to back down and give up NNPC right as Operator in order to save the deals. Now there is an echo of finding a solution to the failed Shell asset sales.
The issue that is very disturbing is that the OPL 245 oil block in the Niger Delta of Nigeria is under an indigenous license, this program was created to protect local oil company participation in the oil industry. Under the guideline with oil blocks under this program, foreign companies can not take more than 40% interest in the oil block. Because of the huge amount of money being paid under the table to the Minister of petroleum and the President of Nigeria, NNPC has promised to give Agip 50% of the oil block including Agip being the operator of the block ( this was the $40 million the Minister collected from Agip already) and is also set to approve the joint Shell/Agip bid of $1.3 billion for the reminder of the oil block. Which goes contrary to the laws and intentions of which the license of the oil block was initially given. Doing this is just pure circumvention of the laws and greed. This is how the Minister of Petroleum is able to pay for her house. People should ask how much money did she have before becoming Minister of Petroleum and also with her current salary as Minister how can she afford this house in Vienna!!! Nigerians should raise their voices against all this corrupt practices or the country will never stand strong.
I hope this could be of help to you all who want fair play and justice in Nigeria; also Dele Adesina & Co. Should show receipts of payments made to it by Malabu and even their contract with Malabu, if they can’t that is because the fees in the contract between both parties are so high that it does not confirm with any sort of legal fees comparable with any legal work or law firm in Nigeria or abroad, Who pays a law firm over $30 million USD to negotiate a settlement in a case like this?
In addition to the above; it has come to our attention that the great lawyer Mr. Adesina has started a media black out of this story and similar stories on this topic brought forth by us, by trying to bribe news companies in and around the country. Shell and Agip are also complicit in the bribery of officials in Nigeria through their greed to take as much of the oil rights and licenses as possible.