Former Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs Dieziani Allison-Madueke never gave out any of the countrys oil blocs to a foreign firm, it was learnt yesterday.
Instead, Mrs Allison-Madueke was said to have ceded three oil blocs to the Nigerian Petroleum DevelopmentCompany, a subsidiary of the NNPC involved in exploration.
Some media reports at the weekend alleged that Mrs Allison-Madueke signed away 55 per cent of the country’s stake in some oil blocks to Seven Energy International Limited through its Nigerian Subsidiary Septa Energy Nigeria Limited.
But sources said yesterday that the authourities at the NPDC entered into an agreement with the firm to explore the oil blocs since it could not fund it.
“I can tell you that all this is about the intrigues surrounding the jostling for ministerial appointment. The former minister did the right thing and followed due process on ceding the oil blocks to the Nigerian firm which is also a subsidiary of the NNPC.
“It is for the benefit of all Nigerians and she did that in the interest of the nation. The so-called agreement is entirely between the NPDC and the firm that would exploit the oil. How come Mrs Allison-Madueke is being mentioned as if she did something bad?”
Yesterday, Lagos lawyer Femi-Falana wrote a letter to a Lagos-based newspaper on behalf of Seven Energy International Limited, demanding a retraction of the story.
Falana wrote: “As you are no doubt aware, our clients never took over oil and gas fields but entered into a service agreement with the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company in strict compliance with the law. In other words, our clients neither obtained oil blocs from the former Petroleum Minister nor paid any bribe to her. However, by your reckless and malicious publication, you linked our clients with serious allegations of fraud, bribery, corruption and abuse of due process. In the process, you exposed them to odium and ridicule and thereby damaged their reputation which has taken them years to build. More so that Seven Energy International Limited is an international oil company with established integrity and as such will not violate the provisions of the United States’ Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.”
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Ex petroleum minister did not give out oil blocs
Ex petroleum minister did not give out oil blocs
NigerianEye
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Monday, June 06, 2011
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