The Chairman Committee on Petroleum Revenue
Task Force, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and a member of his committee, Mr Steve
Orosanye, at the presentation of the committee’s report to President
Goodluck Jonathan traded words with the latter alleging that the report
was flawed with unconfirmed figures.
Meanwhile,
Mr Ribadu accused the former Head of Service of not working with the
committee and also got himself appointed on to the board of the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) whilst the committee was
undertaking its investigation of the company and others in the oil
sector.
According to the former chairman of the Economic Crimes Commission (EFCC), “Steve Orosanye never participated one day in the deliberations of this committee.” “Not even a single day. Ne never” he emphasised, adding that “the first time we saw Steve was at the end of the work when we were talking about recoveries from companies that he jumped in and he got in.”
A stern looking Ribadu defended his position, noting “all the members (of the committee) are here, they can bare witness to what I have said.”
He further revealed that despite the independence of the committee, Mr Orosanye, got himself appointed as a member on the board of Directors of the NNPC.
Another member of the committee who had also raised issues with the report, Mr Bernard Oti, was alleged to secure an appointment as NNPC’s Director of Finance while the committee’s investigation lasted.
An emotional Ribadu who contested as an opposition presidential candidate in 2011 general elections against President Jonathan, told the President that “this recommendation is for you to use. It is your work. You thought it wise to bring people from outside to help you look at the industry critically and give an honest opinion.”
Unreconciled figures
Mr Orosanye, the former Head of Service, who had urged the President not to accept the report claiming some of the figures in the draft report were “unreconciled figures” and that institutions responsible for the figures, such as the Department of Petroluem Resources (DPR) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) were not consulted.
He also alleged that the report that was presented to the President was rushed and was not presented to the committee before hand as agreed upon.
President Jonathan in his remark gave the assurance that despite the rancour between members of the committee, his administration will look into the report and prosecute any one alleged of misappropriation in the nation’s oil sector.
The President noted Nigeria needs to get its oil industry right because, a lot African countries on the shorelines are now discovering crude and and if we do not get our acts together, investors will just take their money to these countries.
The Nuhu Ribadu led Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force was appointed in February 2012 and was given 60 working days to deliver their mandate of enhancing integrity and accountability in the petroleum industry.
The 146 page report produced by the committee was earlier in the week leaked to Reuters News agency, revealing that the nation loses out on $29 billion on cut-price gas deals from the year 2002 to the present.
Meanwhile the former EFCC boss has been reacting on the leakage of the report to the public before presentation.
Fielding questions from reporters after the submission of the reports, Mr Ribadu stated that there is no difference between what has been submitted and what has been in circulation.
He insisted that one cannot fault the possibility of a leakage in a project where so many people are involved.
But in her reaction, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Deziani Allison-Madueke, urged Nigerians not to lose focus on the objective behind the reports, saying that there was no misunderstanding between her and the former EFCC chairman and that she did not in any way interfere with the work of the task force.
Mr Ribadu has since posted on his social media platforms that “no matter the pressure, don’t compromise, stand for the truth and with people of integrity.”
Meanwhile,
Mr Ribadu accused the former Head of Service of not working with the
committee and also got himself appointed on to the board of the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) whilst the committee was
undertaking its investigation of the company and others in the oil
sector.According to the former chairman of the Economic Crimes Commission (EFCC), “Steve Orosanye never participated one day in the deliberations of this committee.” “Not even a single day. Ne never” he emphasised, adding that “the first time we saw Steve was at the end of the work when we were talking about recoveries from companies that he jumped in and he got in.”
A stern looking Ribadu defended his position, noting “all the members (of the committee) are here, they can bare witness to what I have said.”
He further revealed that despite the independence of the committee, Mr Orosanye, got himself appointed as a member on the board of Directors of the NNPC.
Another member of the committee who had also raised issues with the report, Mr Bernard Oti, was alleged to secure an appointment as NNPC’s Director of Finance while the committee’s investigation lasted.
An emotional Ribadu who contested as an opposition presidential candidate in 2011 general elections against President Jonathan, told the President that “this recommendation is for you to use. It is your work. You thought it wise to bring people from outside to help you look at the industry critically and give an honest opinion.”
Unreconciled figures
Mr Orosanye, the former Head of Service, who had urged the President not to accept the report claiming some of the figures in the draft report were “unreconciled figures” and that institutions responsible for the figures, such as the Department of Petroluem Resources (DPR) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) were not consulted.
He also alleged that the report that was presented to the President was rushed and was not presented to the committee before hand as agreed upon.
President Jonathan in his remark gave the assurance that despite the rancour between members of the committee, his administration will look into the report and prosecute any one alleged of misappropriation in the nation’s oil sector.
The President noted Nigeria needs to get its oil industry right because, a lot African countries on the shorelines are now discovering crude and and if we do not get our acts together, investors will just take their money to these countries.
The Nuhu Ribadu led Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force was appointed in February 2012 and was given 60 working days to deliver their mandate of enhancing integrity and accountability in the petroleum industry.
The 146 page report produced by the committee was earlier in the week leaked to Reuters News agency, revealing that the nation loses out on $29 billion on cut-price gas deals from the year 2002 to the present.
Meanwhile the former EFCC boss has been reacting on the leakage of the report to the public before presentation.
Fielding questions from reporters after the submission of the reports, Mr Ribadu stated that there is no difference between what has been submitted and what has been in circulation.
He insisted that one cannot fault the possibility of a leakage in a project where so many people are involved.
But in her reaction, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Deziani Allison-Madueke, urged Nigerians not to lose focus on the objective behind the reports, saying that there was no misunderstanding between her and the former EFCC chairman and that she did not in any way interfere with the work of the task force.
Mr Ribadu has since posted on his social media platforms that “no matter the pressure, don’t compromise, stand for the truth and with people of integrity.”
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