Controversies over the report of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu led Petroleum Industry Revenue Task Force continued on Friday as two members disowned it during its presentation on Friday at Aso Rock Presidential Villa.

The drama which played out right before President Goodluck Jonathan began immediately after the report was presented to Mrs. Dieziani Alison Madueke, the Minister of Petroleum Resources by the former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC boss who is also the Chairman of the Task Force.

Steve Orosanye, former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation had immediately after the report was presented raised objections as he criticized the process of its compilation which he described as ‘flawed’.

The former HOSCF described the report submitted by Ribadu as a draft because it was not circulated to members for review as was previously agreed to by members of the Task Force when they met last July. He also said the report was not accepted by all members and was signed by only the Chairman of the Task Force, a move which he described as unacceptable.

Oronsaye added that the Task Force members should have been manly enough to tell the President that they are not ready with the report when he called for its submission. “I don’t think this is the report that should be accepted at this time”, Orosanye concluded.

He was joined by Bernard Oti, another member of the Task Force who also said the right channel was not followed by the Committee in arriving at the conclusions in the report. He added that the Task Force did not meet with all the necessary personnel and officers in the different agencies and parastatals in the oil industry before it arrived at its conclusions.

“I am not persuaded to be part of what is being submitted. I believe it is work in progress”, said Oti. But he had hardly finished before another member of the Task Force, Ignatius Adekunle contradicted him and Orosanye. Adekunle said both men refused to send their comments on the report despite different opportunities given to them to do so.

“Orosanye and Oti said the report was too harsh at our meetings. Opportunity was provided for members to make comments, but they failed to make comments”, said Adekunle.

He also said contrary to the submissions of the two men, the report of the Task Force was based on submissions and data received from government agencies and operators in the oil industry. Replying to Adekunle assertions, Oronsaye said it was agreed among the Task Force members that the report should be brought to the Committee of the whole, but it was not done.

“The President has said we should come and submit the report today, so what?”, he added. Responding to the allegations, Ribadu said immediately the Task Force was set up, members began working and worked continuously for three months, during which Oronsaye was not present in a single day.

“It was at the end that he jumped in”, said Ribadu who added that the former HOSF flew into the country just yesterday to be part of the report presentation. “I think our President deserves respect more than what we have got now”, he added.

The former EFCC Chairman also noted that the disagreement of the two men with the report which indicted the Minister of Petroleum Resources may have been influenced by their new appointments. Ribadu noted that Oronsaye got himself appointed as a member of the board of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation in the course of the work of the Task Force, while Oti was appointed into a managerial position in the Corporation.

He said the two men should have resigned their position following their appointments, but they refused to do so. In spite of this disagreements however, President Jonathan said the report of the Ribadu Committee still stands. He spoke after the Minister of Petroleum Resources had presented the report of the Ribadu Committee and that of the two other Task Forces to him.

The President who said it is normal to have disagreements among members of a committee said while the two dissenting voices did not constitute clear majority, government is ready to accommodate their observations in the report.

He asked the two dissenting men to submit their observations to his office or the Petroleum Minister, even as he assured that government is not interested in hiding anything and if there are any allegations of stealing against anybody in the report; it will be referred to EFCC for investigations. He also defended the appointments of the two men into positions in NNPC, arguing that there is nothing wrong in doing so.

The Task Force on Governance Structure led by Dotun Suleiman was the first to submit its report. Suleiman said the report of the Task Force dealt with high governance issues, key performance indicators process control mechanisms and structure for the transitional phase of the industry from government controlled to an independent operator as envisaged in the Petroleum Industry Bill. The Task Force suggested the creation of Nigeria Petroleum Inspectorate as a single regulator of both the upstream and downstream sector of the oil industry among other new bodies it suggested should be created. In its own report, the Task Force on refineries noted that all Nigerian refineries are in a very terrible state.

Mallam Yusuf Ali, the alternate Chairman of the Task Force also said the members developed a self sufficiency plan for petroleum products in Nigeria within a strong commercial framework in the shortest possible plan for Nigeria in the report. The Committee recommended privatization of the existing refineries with 18 months and full deregulation of the downstream sector of the oil industry.

The Task Force also said government should establish three Greenfield refineries, in Lagos, Kogi and Bayelsa State either through a joint venture or any other arrangement. The Task Force noted that in the past 10 years, the highest capacity utilization of the three refineries was 44 per cent attained in 2005 and the lowest was in 2009 when the refineries operated at capacity level of only 18 per cent. The Task Force said part of the problem of refineries is pipeline vandalisation and theft of crude oil.

Ribadu had also earlier said recommendations contained in the report of his committee will not only strengthen the Nigerian oil industry, but will result in greater revenue for Nigeria. The former EFCC Chairman said though some of the recommendations contained in the report of his Task Force may be considered harsh, they are the truth.

Ribadu said government should put pressure on the Department of Petroleum Resources to ensure the collection of taxes and revenues due to Nigeria from the operators in the oil industry. He said NNPC should stop the use of traders in the sale of its crude oil as Nigeria is just one of the two countries doing so throughout the world.
According to him, other countries sell their crude oil straight to the refineries that will use them. Ribadu also described the scale of theft of crude oil in Nigeria as a national tragedy while emphasizing that only a person of integrity can carry out reforms.

The Minister of Petroleum Resources who said she did not interfere with the work of the Task Forces said government will look at the recommendations. She also said the NNPC and the Ministry will as from next week meet with the Task Forces again on the different recommendations and conclusions contained in their reports.

http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2012/11/02/2-members-disown-ribadu-oil-sector-report/

Looks like the world is tired of this 'RibaduN' of a dude!
Was he really expecting to fight against Dieziani?
He should have stayed in Afghanistan I tell ya!

What has dezieani done to hausa people? I will not conclude until we have gotten the full gist