By Abdullahi M. Gulloma, Vivian Okejeme and David Agba, Abuja–
The riddle posed by the row between the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu and the Group Managing Director, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, Maikanti Baru, appears far from over as the Presidency gave conflicting positions on the N640 billion contract awarded by the agency.
While the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande had earlier twitted that his boss approved the contracts, the Vice President countered, saying he only approved two loans and not contracts.
Akande, in response to numerous media inquiries, acknowledged that the contracts were approved after due diligence by his principal while acting for President Muhammadu Buhari, who was away in the United Kingdom.
He described the approval as part of the recommendations and necessary actions to deal with the backlog of unpaid cash calls and incentivise investments.
Akande had tweeted: “In response to media inquiries on NNPC joint venture financing, VP Osinbajo, as Ag President approved recommendations after due diligence and adherence to established procedure.
“Action necessary to deal with huge backlog of unpaid cash calls which Buhari administration inherited and also to incentivise much needed fresh investments in the oil & gas sector.
” But in a clarification, Osinbajo denied approving any contract, insisting that the funds were for financing arrangements and not contracts as was reported.
Approached by reporters after the ground-breaking multi-billion Naira historic Bonny-Bodo Road project, in Bonny, Rivers state, Osinbajo explained that the approvals he granted to the NNPC were for financing arrangements for the Joint Ventures between the corporation and IOCs.
“These were financing loans.
Of course, you know what the Joint Ventures are, with the lOCs, like Chevron, that had to procure.
In some cases, NNPC and their Joint Venture partners have to secure loans and they need authorisation to secure those loans while the President was away.
“The law actually provides for those authorisations.
So I did grant two of them and those were presidential approvals, but they are specifically for financing joint ventures and they are loans not contracts,” he said.
Kachikwu, had in a letter to the President, alleged gross insubordination and corruption by the NNPC GMD.
He said the NNPC boss awarded $25 billion contract without following due process, stressing that the deal was sealed without consulting the office of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources or the NNPC board.
But the NNPC fi red back, denying any wrongdoing in the transaction and also describing the minister’s allegations as baseless.
SANs want probe Meanwhile, prominent lawyers have called for the intervention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in the NNPC saga.
According to the senior lawyers, thorough probe should be carried out on allegation of irregularities at the corporation.
The lawyers, who spoke separately with Blueprint, said the matter should not be swept under the carpet, adding that thorough probe should be done to ascertain the truth.
In his view, Festus Keyamo (SAN), said, “nobody knows what really transpired.
My take is, there should be thorough investigation on the matter.
The matter should not be judged on the face value.
“The Economic and Financial Crime Commission, (EFCC) should step into the matter and come up with a clear view.
After that, whoever is wrong should be prosecuted.
” Speaking in similar vein, another senior advocate, Yusuf Ali, said for now, nobody should be blamed until the truth is established.
“Th ere is no clear case of who is wrong in this matter.
It is just a mere speculation for now.
Let us see an extensively clear picture of what is really on ground.
” But in his comment, Mike Ahamba, also a silk, believed the issue should be settled in-house the duos are same government.
Ahamba said, “It is an inhouse issue which I think they should settle by themselves.
” He, however, frowned at the statement made by a northern elder, Tanko Yakassai.
According to him, “Yakassai said Kachikwu’s letter was written in bad faith to embarrass President Buhari.
“What Yakassai did not realise is that every eff ort made by Kachikwu to meet with the President was met with resistance.
He should look at the fact before making a statement.
“If Kachukwu had the means to meet with Buhari, the issue wouldn’t have been in to open.
They should blame the president handlers, not Kachukwu.
” CSJ too Also in a reaction, Lead Director, Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), Eze Onyekpere told Blueprint that it may be an afterthought as well as a safefacing measure.
Onyekpere, who stated this before Oshinbajo’s denial, “from all indications, due process was not followed.
The GMD did not consult the minister of state, who should have taken those decisions.
“It does not cure the mischief perpetrated by the GMD by going to the President.
Baru should have consulted the NNPC Board chaired by Kachikwu.
It’s not right in any way.
What has happened is very wrong I must tell you.
