The leakage of the report of the Mallam Nuhu Ribadu-led committee that probed oil and gas transactions covering 2002 to 2012 and which uncovered widespread corruption and abuse of processes, is meant to embarrass the government.

The Presidency said this while reacting to the publication of excerpts from the report by an international news agency, Reuters, and local media outfits on Wednesday.

[b]The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said the excerpts from the report could not be taken as an official document because the committee had not formally submitted its report to the appropriate authority.

Abati said as far as the Federal Government was concerned, the report in the public domain was suspicious.

He said if indeed the published report was the committee’s genuine work, whoever leaked it to the press did not mean well and was out to embarrass the government.

He said, “It is strange that government will set up a committee, that report has not been submitted to the authorities that set up the committee and the report will be found on the pages of newspapers.

“The report cannot be taken as an official document because the proper procedure is for committees set up by the government to submit their reports to the government. In principle, this report in the public domain is suspicious because it was not submitted to the appropriate authority.[/b]

“If every committee set up by government goes above the system to leak reports, there can be chaos. Whoever leaked the report, if indeed the report is genuine, does not mean well. Whoever is behind it is out to embarrass the government.”

When asked whether by his submission, the Federal Government might probe the alleged leakage, Abati said the first step was for members of the committee to come out and confirm whether it was indeed their report.

One of our correspondents learnt that the Senate Committees on Petroleum (Upstream) and Gas might subject the outcome of the report to further investigation, following the gravity of claims in it.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Gas, Mrs. Nkechi Nwogu, told our correspondent on the telephone on Thursday that the committee would want to look at the report to find out the true position of things as contained in it.

Nwogu said, “With all these revelations, I can assure you that the Senate in particular will not want to sweep such accusations under the carpet.

“I am sure the Senate will want to find out things for itself.”

However, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, said there was no plan to cover up the findings of the committee, but that another panel had been set up to look into the contents.

Alison-Madueke had said while reacting to Reuters enquiries that a committee had been set up by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to look into differences in perspective on the Ribadu committee report.

She had said, “We have set up a team that is looking at them across the board to see if there is a difference in opinion or a difference in perspective.

“This team will complete its work and submit a comprehensive report in the next 10 days.”

The minister’s statement had fuelled speculations that the new committee would remove aspects that the government was not comfortable with from the report before making it public.

However, in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja on Thursday, the spokesman of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mr. Kingsley Agha, said no cover up was intended.

He said, “You cannot cover up the report of the committee. You cannot cover up the report of a committee made up of people of integrity. They will not agree to that. The minister does not have anything to hide; otherwise, she would not have set up the committee.

“It is too early for me to speak on the report since it has not gone to the President and I have not seen it.”

The Acting Group General Manager, Public Affairs, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mr. Fidel Pepple, said a reconciliation committee was necessary.

“When reports like this are produced, it is normal practice to reconcile and clarify aspects of it that may not be clear,” he said.

Reuters had on Wednesday quoted extensively from the report, which it said was confidential.

The Reuters report was widely quoted in the local media on Thursday.

The 146-page report, according to the international news agency, had stated that a total of $183m (N28.73bn) in signature bonuses paid by oil companies to the federation was missing.

The report said that Ministers of Petroleum Resources between 2008 and 2011 handed out seven discretionary oil licences, but that $183m in signature bonuses was missing from the deals.

Three of the oil licences were said to have been awarded since the current minister, Alison-Madueke, took up her position in 2010.

Nigerian oil ministers between 2008-2011 handed out seven discretionary licences but there is $183 million in signature bonuses missing from the deals, the report said. Three of these oil licences were awarded since Alison-Madueke took up her position in 2010, according to the report.

"I have not given any discretionary awards during this administration," Alison-Madueke told Reuters, although she added that the president had the right to do so instead of using bids if he saw fit. "That is entirely up to him," she said.

Recently, the federal government awarded oil block licences to no fewer than 21 indigenous companies to prospect for oil. LEADERSHIP SUNDAY can now authoritatively reveal the identities of some of these awardees.

Investigations carried out by LEADERSHIP SUNDAY reveal that the promoters of these registered companies include multi-billionaire Hajiya Bola Shagaya, former group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Mr. Funsho Kupolokun, former governor of Delta State Olorogun Felix Ibru and Chief Odunsi Adedeji.

Hajiya Bola Shagaya, who was recently listed by an international magazine as one of the 10 richest women in Africa, is one of the two directors of Voyage Oil and Gas Limited, one of the indigenous companies that were awarded oil block licences.

Hajiya Shagaya is very close to Dame Patience Jonathan, the president’s wife.

Voyage Oil and Gas Limited was incorporated on October 14, 2011, with a nominal share capital of two million shares. The incorporation number is RC 986771. Out of the two million shares, Shagaya owns one million, while the remaining one million is owned by Oba Tonye, the only other shareholder.

Listed as directors in Form CO7 are Oba Tonye and Hajiya Bola Shagaya.

Abati said as far as the Federal Government was concerned, the report in the public domain was suspicious.

He said if indeed the published report was the committee’s genuine work, whoever leaked it to the press did not mean well and was out to embarrass the government.

HNosegbe: Now they're telling us they're setting up another committee to "look into differences in perspective" from the previous committee report. I mean, if you don't understand the contents of a report, why not call Ribadu for clarification? What do they mean by "differences in perspective"?

What a country.

Oil Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke told Reuters on Tuesday she had received the report last month but that it was a draft and the government was still supposed to give input. The one seen by Reuters was labeled "Final Report."

HNosegbe: Now they're telling us they're setting up another committee to "look into differences in perspective" from the previous committee report. I mean, if you don't understand the contents of a report, why not call Ribadu for clarification? What do they mean by "differences in perspective"?

It seems to me that the government's objective here was to edit the report prior to making it publicly accessible.

What a country.

tbaba1234: Another committee to look into what again??...

How many committees do you need to get the job done??

However, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, said there was no plan to cover up the findings of the committee, but that another panel had been set up to look into the contents.

tbaba1234: Another committee to look into what again??...

How many committees do you need to get the job done??

highlandre: The truth is GEJ is not sincere to tackle corruption in the system, or why set up another committee to alter the details contained in Ribadu's committee? What does the Minister of Petroleum mean by reviewing the report of the committee?

Please, I'm tired of this shit of a government jor. Can we please wish Nigerians a bombing-free Sallah celebration!

Demdem:

The retardeen himself is a beacon of corruption right from his bayelsa days. Av always stated this but peeps simply don't believe. He stands for the status quo. Transformation my foot.

Wikileaks: “Goodluck Jonathan Was Part Of The System Of Corruption That Had Impoverished The Niger 
Delta For Decades,” Says Jonathan’s Senior Special Assistant, Oronto Douglas
Posted: September 8, 2011 - 16:17


Oronto Douglas Photo:234next
By SaharaReporters, New York


On December 18 , 2006, just after the then Bayelsa State 
Governor, Goodluck Jonathan, had been named PDP presidential running mate to Umaru Yar'Adua, human rights activist and Jonathan confidante Oronto Douglas described in glowing terms.

Among them, Jonathan was well respected among Ijaw leaders, had built a successful development program in Bayelsa, and had been a good Governor.

A new WikiLeaks cable shows, however, that only the day before, Mr. Douglas’ true feelings about Jonathan had been different. In a conversation with an American official, Douglas described Jonathan as “part of the system of corruption that had impoverished the Niger 
Delta for decades.”

And that “successful development programme in Bayelsa”? "Even his development initiative is viewed with skepticism by the populace," Douglas said.

He said that the outstanding corruption charges against Jonathan and his wife were troubling, and that while Jonathan enjoyed the support of the "Ijaw leaders," the "restive youth" had little respect for the "so-called leaders."

"I have not given any discretionary awards during this administration," Alison-Madueke told Reuters, although she added that the president had the right to do so instead of using bids if he saw fit. That is entirely up to him," she said.