Get Even More Visitors To Your Blog, Upgrade To A Business Listing >>

Matters Arising From The $25b Oil Gate

Fenny Fwa


Tam David West known for his reputation of being in-corrupt was always full of encomiums for Buhari. He kept saying that when he was Minister of petroleum under Buhari, the man never asked him for favour. Obasanjo that is known for not praising anybody except himself, had cause, in one of his books to praise PMB for his incorruptible Character. He presided over the affairs of the nation as a military dictator for 18months, minister of petroleum under Obasanjo for more than 2 years and as the Executive Chairman of PTF, not for once had he been associated with sleaze. Even as a military the Governor for six months in defunct North East, the story remain the same. The only infraction tolerated by PMB thorough out his public life was the clearance of 53 suit cases from Saudi Arabia belonging to the late Ambassador Dahiru and they were cleared by major Jokolo under heavy military escort. Neither was the custom officer that allowed the clearance sacked nor was his ADC disciplined. Well this isolated case is tolerable. If you are in examination and you scored 80% given the difficult Learning environment in Nigeria, one should give kudos to Mr President. PMB's only noticeable weaknesses just like most people is that he finds it difficult to whip his aides on line.

Place this Sterling performance Mr president with what is happening now as civilian president, then you know that if he is not careful by the time he completes his tenure his untouchable aides Would have completely soiled his hard earned reputation of being an anti corruption czar.

Before this disturbing alleged $25b gate at NNPC, we had the N500m alleged bribe offered to the chief of staff by MTN and nothing has been done about it. There are three cases pending now. The suspended embattled SGF BD Lawal of grass cutting contract fame totaling N223m, the discovery of N13b in a house in Ikoyi which the DG of NIA owned up and the N292m alleged corrupt expenditure by Prof Usman Yusuf, the CEO NHIS. While all were suspended and report on their alleged infractions was submitted to Mr president, nothing has so far been done.
Nigerians are waiting with trepidation on how PMB will deal with the $25b oil gate where the GMD was said to have awarded contract worth $25b without following due process and sidelining the Board. At conservative exchange rate of N360 per$, the total amount in question is about N9trillion which is more than the total budget of the country put at N7 trillion! There is a story coming out which copiously gave Barau a clean bill of health. It was written by Funmi Adewola. That he followed due process in all the transactions. That what transpired with the $25m was commercial transactions and not contract award. That based on the law on contract award in NNPC, the board has no role. All the tenders' boards are in House which are answerable to GMD in some cases to lower management and anything above $20m will be submitted to Executive council. From that submission, Kachikwu complain was therefore a thrash and has no substance. 
There are few pertinent Issues I want to raise as response of Adewola's write up. Since he laboured to lift the relevant portion of the procurement act as it concerns NNPC, I expect him also to lift the relevant portions of the functions of board. I have googled to find the relevant functions of the board but it's not on the internet. But the president when inaugurating the board threw some insights as to the function of the board. He enjoined the board to ensure DECENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY IN MANAGEMENT OF OIL INDUSTRY( emphasis mine) please how on earth do you ensure accountability, transparency in the oil sector without knowing how contracts or commercial transactions are undertaken by management. Adewola again said only contracts above $20m are to be taken to the Executive council. Who will present memo to the council. Is not the minister of state on petroleum because the president of the council being the substantive minister cannot present a memo. Assuming the president will do such a thing, does it make sense for a minister in charge petroleum to get to know about contracts from NNPC just like any other minister at council meeting? Haba mu ji tsoron Allah mana. Mr Adewola has not commented on the minister's allegation that the GMD has been by passing him on all matters in relation to NNPC and displaying acts of insubordination. So as far as he is concerned this is in order. Mute is also the reaction of Adewola on the allegation that the board was not involved in appointments made by the management.

When Maikanti Barau was appointed GMD of NNPC, I was excited because he is well educated with first class degree in Mechanical Engineering and obtaining PHD in the same, lacing it with being an experienced staff of NNPC. He rose to the position of Group General Manager and worked in several of the corporation subsidiaries. With these Sterling qualities, I thought they will blend well with Emmanuel Ibe Dr kachiku also another brain. A first class degree in law and did his masters and PHD in prestigious Harvard. He also laced it with versed knowledge in oil industry having worked in the private sector of the industry, rising to position of Vice chairman Exxon Mobil. Tell me with these twosome credentials and being supervised by the substantive minister PMB also his experience as minister of the same for 2 years under OBJ combined with his sweeping broom of anti corruption czar who will expect this mess in the oil industry. But we have forgotten the rapacious cabal who I'm sure have put Barau in this mess. 

I hate being hypocritically. Its utopian to expect a corruption free country. Even the least corrupt country in the world Denmark is 90%. America the so called bastion of democracy is 74%. The most rigid Islamic country in the world where sharia is applied to the fullest Saudi Arabia is rated only 44%. In China where corrupt officials are killed is only 38%. As developed as Russia is, it's performance is poor with only 28%, Nigeria is behind it with only one point 27%. But despite their corruption, these countries have developed in all fields with high degree of efficiency. Why is our own different. Four words: gluttony, greed, nepotism and mediocracy. All the GMD needs to do is tell the chairman of board sir we have reputable contractors in oil industry that have been shortlisted to take care of certain interest( cabal) while you can ask board members to also submit list of reputable contractors of their interest to also bid. Of course selective tenders is acceptable and award will go to the most competitive and competent. The interest of Nigerian political class spread in the six geopolitical zones will be catered for without breaking due process and quality service delivery. But the cabal are beclouded with the four words mentioned earlier. It's because of this that we will continue to have economic sabotage and political crises in the country because of winner all takes all mentality of ruling class.
I feel so bad when people who have worked so hard for this country are being rubbished just to satisfy some rapacious elements. Despite limitations of Kackikwu, I stand to be corrected that in the entire in the two and half years of president Buhari government, nobody has done more than kachikwu to bring about the some economic fortunes to this unfortunate nation. Just in one year, the man changed the narrative of NNPC from being a citadel of corruption, inefficiency, deficit, wastage and leakages to a corporation ran with best practices. For 15 years it has been posting deficit but it is now posting profit. It's being ran efficiently and effectively. Who will believe that the cabal that were sulking our blood with their stupendous subsidies regime payment could be gotten rid of. He stood firm, refused to be bought by the cabal to partake in the bazaar of trillions of Naira being paid to phantom marketers as subsidies. In one swoop they were gone. The fraud that couldn't have been sustained was eliminated. He was able to revive our comatose refineries and so far that has reduced our importation of refined oil by 2.1m litres per day. While combining the work of GMB and minister of state of petroleum, he risked life going all over creeks negotiating with militants who temporarily halted their economic sabotage. The result was phenomenal increase in our production level from less than 1m barrel per day to 1.8m. He also obtained weaver from OPEC for our country to be exempted from reduction in production. He single handedly sponsored the appointment Mohamned Barkindo as OPEC Secretary General.This was testified by Barkindo. Who can beat this phenomenal achievements of this man in this regime.
I feel for Mr president and I want him to succeed, but to be able to leave with his integrity intact he has to dispense the services of some irredeemable aides that are capable of denting his hard earn reputation. As a start COS must go and be replaced by the No nonsense incorruptible Hameed Ali of Custom and look for the services of another incorruptible character in mould of Hammeed such as Col Umar Dangiwa or Gen SO Williams. Then make kachikwu as the substantive petroleum minister.
Mr president your integrity built over the years that some us supported you in 2015 is at stake. The earlier you use insecticide and clean the stains, the better. The whole world is watching.


This post first appeared on Adamawa Celebrities, please read the originial post: here

Share the post

Matters Arising From The $25b Oil Gate

×

Subscribe to Adamawa Celebrities

Get updates delivered right to your inbox!

Thank you for your subscription

×