The bastardizing of Nigeria by the mindless, who hate the nation. Monumental injustice to a people: 20 Owners Of Richest Oil Blocks In Nigeria Without the people of Niger Delta on whose soil the oil was found. They constitutes the main opposition to President Goodluck Jonathan today. Read on:

(1) This oil block business is so lucrative that Danjuma’s Sapetro divested of its investment in Akpo condensate for $1billion dollars. This business is second to none in Nigeria. That is why any attempt to investigate the activities in this sector will always be futile. The money is so much that they give bribes in millions of dollars. A birthday gift or child naming gift from an oil block owner to a government official could be as paltry as $2million dollars, and if the official’s father died, the condolence gift could reach mere $3 million dollars. When they want to bribe legislators, it is in millions of dollars and any ongoing investigation ends within weeks. They are so confident that with excess money they can buy up Nigeria and they are succeeding

(2) OML 110 with high yield OBE oil fields was given Cavendish Petroleum owned by Alhaji Mai Daribe, the Borno Patriarch in 1996 by Sanni Abacha. OBE oil field has estimated over 500 million barrels of oil. In layman’s language and using average benchmark of $100 dollars per barrel, translates to $50 billion dollars worth of oil reserve. When you remove the taxes, royalties and sundry duties worth about 60% of the reserve payable over time you get about $20billion dollars worth of oil in the hands of a family.

(3) OPL 246 was awarded to SAPETRO, a company owned by General Theophilus Danjuma, by Sanni Abacha in 1998. Akpo condensate exports about 300,000 barrels of crude daily.

(4) NOML 112 and OML 117 were awarded to AMNI International Petroleum Development Company owned by Colonel Sanni Bello in 1999. Sanni Bello is an inlaw to Abdulsalami Abubakar, former Head of State of Nigeria.

(5) OML 115, OLDWOK Field and EBOK field was awarded to Alhaji Mohammed Indimi from Niger State. Indimi is an inlaw to former Military President Ibrahim Babangida.

(6) OML 215 is operated by Nor East Petroleum Limited owned by Alhaji Saleh Mohammed Gambo.

(7) OML 108 is operated by Express Petroleum Company Limited is owned by Alhaji Aminu Dantata.

( OML II3 allocated to Yinka Folawiyo Pet Ltd is owned by Alhaji W.I. folawiyo

(9)ASUOKPU/UMUTU marginal oil fields is operated by Seplat Petroleum. Seplat is owned by Prince Nasiru Ado Bayero, cousin to the Central Bank Governor Lamido Sanusi. This oil field has the capacity of 300,000 barrels of oil daily. This translates to $30million dollars daily at average benchmark of $100 dollars per barrel. Deducting all sundry taxes, royalties etc , this field can yield $12billion dollars daily for the owners .

(10)Intel owned by Atiku, Yarádua and Ado Bayero has substantial stakes in Nigeria’s oil exploration industry both in Nigeria and Principe and Sao Tome.

(11) AMNI owns two oil blocks OML 112 and OML 117 which it runs Afren plc and Vitol has substantial stakes in oil blocks. Afren plc is operating EBOK oil fields in OML 67. Vitol lifts 300,000 barrels of Nigerian oil daily. Rilwanu Lukman, former OPEC Chairman has stakes in all these named three companies.

(12) OPL 245 was awarded to Malabu Oil& Gas Company by Sanni Abacha. Dan Etete, Abacha’s oil minister owns Malabu Oil. In 2000, Vice President Atiku Abubakar convinced Obasanjo to revoke OPL 245 given to Malabu Oil. Etete had earlier rejected Atiku’s demand for substantial stakes in the high yield OPL 245 and it attracted the venom of Ota Majesty who revoked the licence. However, in 2006, Obasanjo had mercy on Dan Etete and gave him back his oil block worth over $20 billion dollars.

(13) OPL 289 and OPL 233 was awarded during Obasanjo era to Peter Odili fronts, Cleanwater Consortium, consisting of Clenwater Refinery and RivGas Petroleum and Gas Company. Odili’s brother in law, Okey Ezenwa manages the consortium as Vice Chairman.

(14) OPL 286 is managed by Focus Energy in partnership with BG Group, a British oil concern. Andy Uba has stakes in Focus Energy and his modus operandi is such that you can never see his name in any listings yet he controls OPL and OML through proxies

(15)OPL 291 was awarded to Starcrest Energy Nigeria Limited, owned by Emeka Offor by Obasanjo . Immediately after the award, Starcrest sold the oil block to Addax Petroleum Development Company Limited (ADDAX) Addax paid Sir Emeka Offor a farming fee of $35million dollars and still paid the signature bonus to the government. Emeka Offor still retains stake in ADDAX operations in Nigeria.

(16) Mike Adenuga’s Conoil is the oldest indigenous oil exploration industry in Nigeria. Conoil has six oil blocks and exports above 200,000 barrels of crude daily.

(17)The oil block national cake sharing fiesta could take twists according to the mood of the Commander-in –Chief at the particular time. In 2006, Obasanjo revoked OPL 246 which Abacha gave to Danjuma because he refused to support the tenure elongation bid of the Ota Majesty. In 2000, Obasanjo had earlier revoked OPL 241 given to Dan Etete under the advice Atiku. However, when the Obasanjo-Atiku faceoff started, the Ota Majesty made a u-turn and handed back the oil block to Etete.

(18)During the time of Late President Yarádua , a panel headed by Olusegun Ogunjana was set up to investigate the level of transparency in the award of oil blocks. The panel recommended that 25 oil blocks awarded by the Obasanjo be revoked because the manner they were obtained failed to meet the best practices in the industry. Sadiq Mahmood, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum endorsed the report to then president with all its recommendations. As a result of the report Yarádua revoked eleven oil blocks.

(19) In April 2011 Mike Adenuga attempted to buy Shell’s OML 30 for $1.2 billion dollars. The Minister for Petroleum and Nigeria’s most powerful woman refused the sale of the OML30 to Adenuga citing national interest. This block was later sold to Heritage Oil for $800 million dollars eleven months later.

(20) In the name of competitive bidding, which Obasanjo introduced in 2005, Officials bring companies overnight and through processes best described as secretive and voodooist they award blocks to party faithful, fronts and phoney companies. They collect gratifications running into hundreds of millions of dollars which is paid into offshore account and the nation loses billions of dollars of revenue to private pockets.

During the third term agenda, Obasanjo was deceived that the allocation of oil block to party faithfuls is to fund the third term agenda. With the failure of the third term, the beneficiaries went home with their fortunes and thanked God or Allah for buttering their bread. Senator Andy Uba co ordinate the award of the last rounds of oil block by Obasanjo in 2005 and 2007. The then minister of petroleum, Edwin Daukoru was a mere errand boy who took instructions from the presidential aide

The process of sharing Nigeria’s oil block national cake is as fraudulent now as when Ibrahim Babangida started the process of discretionary allocation of oil blocks to indigenous firms. Discretionary allocation of oil blocks entails that a president can reward a mistress who performs wonderfully with an oil block with capacity for cumulative yield of over $20 billion dollars without recourse to any process outside of manhood attachments. Babangida, Abacha, Abdulsalami and Obasanjo awarded discretionary oil blocks to friends, associates, family members, party chieftains, security chiefs and all categories of bootlickers, spokespersons and cult members without any laid down procedures.

The recipients of such oil blocks will get funds from ever willing offshore financiers and partners to graciously settle the benefactors, the awarders, facilitators and the Commander-in-Chief through fronts. These settlements mostly paid into foreign accounts runs into hundreds of millions of dollars according to the potential yield of the block. Sometimes, the awarder (sharer of national cake and direct intermediaries) demand additional stakes in the bidding company. The awarder sends fronts as part of the directorship and management of the bidding firms without leaving a link to them. That is how the oil block national cake is distributed to a few Nigerians.

Signature bonuses which are paid when an investor successfully bids, wins and signs agreement with the petroleum ministry, running into tens of millions and sometimes hundreds of millions of naira ,is often waived off. There is actually no waiver; rather a diversion of what would have been paid to government t coffers is paid into private purse as appreciation gifts. That is why those in the Petroleum Ministry dread retirement as though it signifies going to hell fire. No matter how little your influence, something substantial must enter your hands especially in hard currency. The nation loses billions of dollars in diverted revenue whenever any round of auction occurs.

The regime of President Goodluck is not showing any signs of changing the status quo. Controversies have trailed the activities of the Minister of Petroleum and many players in the Industry accuse her of demanding stakes from every oil deal. It is hoped that President Goodluck Jonathan will remember his transformational promise to Nigerians and endeavour to face the hawks in the oil industry.

The angst in the air is so much that if this monster of illegal allocation of oil block is not addressed, the much touted revolution could begin all of a sudden and all who condoned this illegality at the expense of hungry Nigerians may have nowhere to hide.

Culled from How Babangida, Abubarkar, Abacha, Obasanjo Shared Nigeria’s Oil Blocks - Written by Obinna Akukwe

http://elombah.com/index.php/special-reports/10773-how-babangida-abacha-obasanjo-shared-nigeria-s-oil-blocks

Ooops!

This is not news now.

It is not compulsory to have them on the list.

I want to be the petroleum minister of Nigeria, so freaking bad...!

This is the root cause of Boko Haram and all impeachment threat to foil 2015 mandate, the North wants GEJ out of the way, so the licenses can be renewed cos most of them are expiring from 2017 upwards. North is fighting will all at their disposal alongside their allies in the West. So called Bakare is a surrogate to these creepy Northerners. I will offer proof if needed.

you are recyling an old thread.

kunlekunle: you are recyling an old thread.

waka pass if its old to you, many people need to know..

O boy see as dem dey call billions of dollars like say na nothing...see money..btwn anyday some myopic phool will criticize and ask any artiste or genuine bizman to remember the poor just cos the said fellow bought exotic cars or spent his hardearned money..he/she will have me to contend with..WTF..these oil guys are the problem of nigeria.

Thanks man, it's new cos I jos saw it. Pls we need more so we can know who is the bush meat and hunter.

kunlekunle: you are recyling an old thread.

it's new to me oldman

I see the same divide and blackmail strategy that has won SE more AND more haters all over the OP's writeup.
So Yorubas and Northerners done turn GEJ main opposition abi . . .all because igboman dey smell breakup him wan quickly align with 'oil-landed' pipo them . . .

Only 1 Yoruba man . . .INJUSTICE!

sheyguy: I see the same divide and blackmail strategy that has won SE more AND more haters all over the OP's writeup.
So Yorubas and Northerners done turn GEJ main opposition abi . . .all because igboman dey smell breakup him wan quickly align with 'oil-landed' pipo them . . .

as usual foolish talk.anambra,imo and abia do not have oil.

12. Dan Etete

13. peter odili and Ezenwa

14. Andy Uba

15. Emeka offor


Please where are these people from

And can you list the number of Yorubas in there mor0n

Billyonaire: The bastardizing of Nigeria by the mindless, who hate the nation. Monumental injustice to a people: 20 Owners Of Richest Oil Blocks In Nigeria Without the people of Niger Delta on whose soil the oil was found. They constitutes the main opposition to President Goodluck Jonathan today. Read on:
http://elombah.com/index.php/special-reports/10773-how-babangida-abacha-obasanjo-shared-nigeria-s-oil-blocks

12. Dan Etete

13. peter odili and Ezenwa

14. Andy Uba

15. Emeka offor


Please where are these people from

And can you list the number of Yorubas in there mor0n

eledalo: Only 1 Yoruba man . . .INJUSTICE!

This thread is not for tribal chit-chats, its an eye opener for the younger generation to decipher whats going on. Tribal warriors should stay off the thread.

dayokanu:

12. Dan Etete

13. peter odili and Ezenwa

14. Andy Uba

15. Emeka offor


Please where are these people from

And can you list the number of Yorubas in there mor0n

This thread is not for tribal chit-chats, its an eye opener for the younger generation to decipher whats going on. Tribal warriors should stay off the thread.

Billyonaire: This is the root cause of Boko Haram and all impeachment threat to foil 2015 mandate, the North wants GEJ out of the way, so the licenses can be renewed cos most of them are expiring from 2017 upwards. North is fighting will all at their disposal alongside their allies in the West. So called Bakare is a surrogate to these creepy Northerners. I will offer proof if needed.

These was what the criminals of yesterday did. We are waiting to see what the criminals of today will do. Uncle Joe is in charge today, he does not need to wait till 2017 bf he takes any action if there was any wrong doing in the past. Let us stop crying, there is tendency that if Joe shd be given chance to redistribute these oil well today, I belt my life that the only difference we are going to see is taking it from one criminal and give it to another loyal criminal.
Stop these Ijaw and Niger Delta drama, your man is now there, why are you crying again?
Millions of Nigria graduate are dying of unemployment every minute and you are here propagating ethnic agenda instead of raising our voice against our common criminals.

Ok, what is the point of this thread?



Ok, make I carry my [i]ada [/i]and [i]obe [/i]go Aso rock.

The bastardizing of Nigeria by the mindless, who hate the nation. Monumental injustice to a people: 20 Owners Of Richest Oil Blocks In Nigeria Without the people of Niger Delta on whose soil the oil was found. They constitutes the main opposition to President Goodluck Jonathan today.

Yea, not for tribal chitchat indeed.

Go and read a book.

Billyonaire: This thread is not for tribal chit-chats, its an eye opener for the younger generation to decipher whats going on. Tribal warriors should stay off the thread.

The same OP who posited that its the Yorubas and hausa that shared the oil blocks between them

Now let him come and show us how many Yorubas

The title of the thread was No Niger Delta, now let him tell us where Dan Etete, peter Odili and co are from

Billyonaire: This is the root cause of Boko Haram and all impeachment threat to foil 2015 mandate, the North wants GEJ out of the way, so the licenses can be renewed cos most of them are expiring from 2017 upwards. North is fighting will all at their disposal alongside their allies in the West. So called Bakare is a surrogate to these creepy Northerners. I will offer proof if needed.

And do you have a signed document anywhere or a speech where Jonathan has said he will not renew those contracts/licences? If you do please post such a reference because this is beginning to seem like more fairytales and the weakest excuse for voting a thus far poorly performing president into second term I have ever seen. 'Vote him in and he won't renew oil block licence' - rubbish. A good number of those people belong to PDP! Jonathan is yet to show why the common man should trust him. And after decades of broken promises and utterly appaling leadership, Nigerians have to stop being utterly f00lish and make the only parameter for giving an incumbent power a renewed term peformance and results. It really has to become that simple! Not some fairy tale story!

When Jonathan garners enough achievement then we can talk. I only pray the opposition can provide viable alternatives come 2015. And for people shouting "it's only been one year", was that not the lame excuse some people were trying to make for the Yar Adua presidency? Why do the people keep on choosing to be the losers in this game?

^^^2015 is still far away. This is not a campaign period. You wont have to vote for GEJ because of this thread. I know you will vote for him for 247 electricity and other transformations. Mark my words, you will campaign for GEJ.

Billyonaire: ^^^2015 is still far away. This is not a campaign period. You wont have to vote for GEJ because of this thread. I know you will vote for him for 247 electricity and other transformation. Mark my words, you will campaign for GEJ.

For the sake of Nigeria and Nigerians I hope you are right. So far, using early stances as vane measurements, his anti corruption record is an epic failure. Again, I hope you are right and I think every well meaning Nigeria hopes the same.

Lawd have mercy. Gotta get my abuja connect right Geez! No dulling, it will take you a lifetime to make what an abj connect will give you in a jiffy. Just a hint cuz my people will say eni yara logun gbe. Hmmm!

*Ileke-IdI:
Ok, what is the point of this thread?



Ok, make I carry my [i]ada [/i]and [i]obe [/i]go Aso rock.




Yea, not for tribal chitchat indeed.

Go and read a book.

No mind the idddiot. 20 richest oyel block owners without nd people. but its not for tribal chit-chat o!

where were the Niger Deltans when the blocks were being "shared"?Did they want to buy and were denied? if yes can you name them?

kunlekunle:
you are recyling an old thread.

So what?
Are the facts in it old, or do they currently plague Nigeria?

It is best to keep quiet when you have nothing to add to a topic, especially when the questions are of a deeply moral kind and the thrust is the fundamentals freedoms and dues of the common man.

Oil fraud has been going on in Nigeria, and except you are a beneficiary, you are a willing victim of suicide, a willing slave whose duties are the be the guinea pig for bestial experimentation, exploitation and moral sodomisation.

Please do not irritate the many. Thank you.

LFJ:

These was what the criminals of yesterday did. We are waiting to see what the criminals of today will do. Uncle Joe is in charge today, he don't need to wait till 2017 bf he takes any action if there was any wrong doing in the past. Let us stop crying, there is tendency that if Joe shd be given chance to redistribute these oil well, I belt my life that the only difference we are going to see is taking it from one criminal and give it to another loyal criminal.
Stop these Ijaw and Niger Delta drama, your man is now there, why are you crying again?
Millions of Nigria graduate are dying of unemployment every minute and you are here propagating ethnic agenda instead of raising our voice against our common criminals.

Dnt mind laptop #2

He's doin his job

Billyonaire: The bastardizing of Nigeria by the mindless, who hate the nation. Monumental injustice to a people: 20 Owners Of Richest Oil Blocks In Nigeria Without the people of Niger Delta on whose soil the oil was found. They constitutes the main opposition to President Goodluck Jonathan today. Read on:

(1) This oil block business is so lucrative that Danjuma’s Sapetro divested of its investment in Akpo condensate for $1billion dollars. This business is second to none in Nigeria. That is why any attempt to investigate the activities in this sector will always be futile. The money is so much that they give bribes in millions of dollars. A birthday gift or child naming gift from an oil block owner to a government official could be as paltry as $2million dollars, and if the official’s father died, the condolence gift could reach mere $3 million dollars. When they want to bribe legislators, it is in millions of dollars and any ongoing investigation ends within weeks. They are so confident that with excess money they can buy up Nigeria and they are succeeding

(2) OML 110 with high yield OBE oil fields was given Cavendish Petroleum owned by Alhaji Mai Daribe, the Borno Patriarch in 1996 by Sanni Abacha. OBE oil field has estimated over 500 million barrels of oil. In layman’s language and using average benchmark of $100 dollars per barrel, translates to $50 billion dollars worth of oil reserve. When you remove the taxes, royalties and sundry duties worth about 60% of the reserve payable over time you get about $20billion dollars worth of oil in the hands of a family.

(3) OPL 246 was awarded to SAPETRO, a company owned by General Theophilus Danjuma, by Sanni Abacha in 1998. Akpo condensate exports about 300,000 barrels of crude daily.

(4) NOML 112 and OML 117 were awarded to AMNI International Petroleum Development Company owned by Colonel Sanni Bello in 1999. Sanni Bello is an inlaw to Abdulsalami Abubakar, former Head of State of Nigeria.

(5) OML 115, OLDWOK Field and EBOK field was awarded to Alhaji Mohammed Indimi from Niger State. Indimi is an inlaw to former Military President Ibrahim Babangida.

(6) OML 215 is operated by Nor East Petroleum Limited owned by Alhaji Saleh Mohammed Gambo.

(7) OML 108 is operated by Express Petroleum Company Limited is owned by Alhaji Aminu Dantata.

( OML II3 allocated to Yinka Folawiyo Pet Ltd is owned by Alhaji W.I. folawiyo

(9)ASUOKPU/UMUTU marginal oil fields is operated by Seplat Petroleum. Seplat is owned by Prince Nasiru Ado Bayero, cousin to the Central Bank Governor Lamido Sanusi. This oil field has the capacity of 300,000 barrels of oil daily. This translates to $30million dollars daily at average benchmark of $100 dollars per barrel. Deducting all sundry taxes, royalties etc , this field can yield $12billion dollars daily for the owners .

(10)Intel owned by Atiku, Yarádua and Ado Bayero has substantial stakes in Nigeria’s oil exploration industry both in Nigeria and Principe and Sao Tome.

(11) AMNI owns two oil blocks OML 112 and OML 117 which it runs Afren plc and Vitol has substantial stakes in oil blocks. Afren plc is operating EBOK oil fields in OML 67. Vitol lifts 300,000 barrels of Nigerian oil daily. Rilwanu Lukman, former OPEC Chairman has stakes in all these named three companies.

Thank you bros for this article. I have been looking for something like this all along. Now we know why they cannot wait to see the back of GEJ.

Chris Aire's Boutique Opening Re-Ingnites Talks Of Questionable Deals With Petroleum Minister, Diezziani Madueke



His liaison with Petroleum Minister Diezziani Allison-Madueke is back under social scrutiny.

The United States-based Nigerian celebrity jewellery merchant opened the newest addition to his businesses in grand style a couple of days back.

The offering operating under the trade name C A store is situated inside the Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja.

The event paraded a collage of international and local celebrities that include Genevieve Nnaji, Rita Dominic, Omoni Oboli, Chidi Mokeme, Hollywood's Lynn Whitfield and Tuchina Arnold were also present, dwindled


in popularity act -Shaggy, musicians Tuface Idibia and Duncan Mighty, the Minister for Tourism, Culture & National Orientation-Chief Edem Duke, Special Adviser to the President on Strategy and Research-Oronto Douglas, Mr. Terry Wayas, Studio 53's Eku Edewor, former 1st lady of Edo State-Eki Igbinedion, the CEO of LG-Emmanuel Ileka, Godwin and Chris Iluobe, multi-millionaire Musa Danjuma, The Minister for Mines and Steel Development, Arc. Musa Mohammed Sada FNIA, Mohammed Umar, The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources Eng. Goni Sheikh and wife.

The affair was as colourful as the stories is now throwing up.

Informants claimed the move to set up a widely recognised business as a ploy to have a pronounced presence in the country by Chris Aires.

The Minister reportedly shunned the event in other not to draw undue attention to their relation

And ultimately the perfect ploy to continue his 'questionable business deals' with Petroleum Minister, Diezziani Allison Madueke.

The Minister in her first term appointment allegedly awarded Crude Oil lifting contract to Chris Aires in circumstances that reportedly raised a lot of eye brows.

The business deals were reportedly perfected after Aire fete Madueke at his Beverley Hills, Los Angeles base- with jewellery gifts to the bargain.

The companies -hurriedly registered-the Jeweller used to perfect the contracts that allegedly netted about $11 million did not have any fixed address.

They are Caligeria and Siseno.

The full story of the re ignited questionable deals- according to NEXT- is obtainable at


http://societynowng.com/Chris-Aire-Boutique-Opening-Reignites-Talks-Of-Questionable-Deals-With-Petroleum-Minister-Diezziani-Madueke

http://thenetng.com/2011/12/12/jeweller-chris-aire-opens-first-boutique-in-nigeria/

http://africanspotlight.com/2012/01/pictures-flamboyant-livestyle-of-allison-maduekes-son-in-the-u-s/

http://www.imostateblog.com/2012/01/18/private-jet-scandal-how-does-petroleum-minister-diezani-alison-madueke-clear-her-name/

A story in the June 26 Sunday edition of the NEXT newspaper must certainly have given Diezani Alison-Madueke some headache. That is against the backdrop of her preparation for screening by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The essence of that story written by Musikilu Mojeed was enough to give any public officer cause for concern, especially someone like Alison-Madueke who was the nation’s erstwhile oil minister. [b]Titled ‘Oil Minister, Her Jeweller, and Their Sweetheart Deal’, the story revealed how a Christopher Aire, Nigerian jeweller based in the United States, registered two companies Siseno Oil Nigeria Limited and Caligeria Oil Limited with the Corporate Affairs Commission, shortly after Alison-Madueke became oil minister last year. Of course, there is nothing wrong with that. The directors of the two companies were exercising their fundamental rights to do business in Nigeria.

However, the twist in the tale is that shortly after these companies were registered, they started lifting between them 60,000 barrels of crude oil per day. And the newspaper’s story shows that this is a gross violation of the guideline in respect of the lifting of crude oil by any company. The guideline approved in June 2010 by no less a person than Alison-Madueke states that any lifter of crude oil must show that it is a “bona fide end user”, must be established and globally recognised large volume trader, “with evidence of their global network, their activities and volumes of crude oil handled in the last three years.” Besides this and other provisions too, the guideline clearly states: “The NNPC further wishes to emphasise that there is nothing like ‘Presidential’, ‘Task Force’, ‘Ministerial’, ‘Diplomatic’ or any other form of privileged allocation, which can be peddled by hawkers or anyone”.
[/b]
Many people who read that story looked forward to Alison-Madueke’s date with the Senate last week. The entrance of the “most beautiful female minister” drew jeers and banters from the senators. Her grilling, however, was very tepid. Although Alison-Madueke was asked about allegations against her in the media, she dismissed them as the handiwork of her detractors. Perhaps, none of the senators read the NEXT story more than three days after it had been published. If they did, the details of the story should have prompted more probing questions. The slap on the wrist given to the new minister is a telling statement of conspiracy among the nation’s political elite on the anti-corruption war. Yet this is a Senate, which is largely composed of new members.

Having now been confirmed by the Senate for a ministerial position, we can safely assume that Alison-Madueke will be returned to the oil ministry by President Goodluck Jonathan to continue the ‘good work’ she has been doing. But this issue of her “Sweetheart deals” is not going to fade away in a hurry, especially when she refused to state her own side of the story to NEXT. Of course, that is a normal practice with the nation’s public officers, who think they owe the citizens no explanation on how they manage our affairs. The buck, however, stops on President Jonathan’s desk. If the Siseno and Caligeria oil deals are true, he will do well to ask Alison-Madueke some questions on our behalf; or before long many Nigerians will wonder at the kind of “transformation agenda” the President is executing if he condones violations of due process in a crucial sector like oil, a la Diezani Alison-Madueke.

The Less Benefits We Get
When subsidy was removed from kerosene shortly after late President Umaru Yar’Adua got to power, many Nigerians thought the perennial scarcity that was the lot of this commodity was forever settled. How wrong they were. Kerosene is one of the many by-products of crude oil with which the nation is abundantly blessed. And it is the preferred choice of the average Nigerian home for domestic cooking. And in a bid to save the environment from deforestation through using firewood, even the Federal Government encourages the citizenry to embrace the use of stove fuelled by kerosene. Yet the product has forever become a scarce and expensive commodity. It is supposed to sell for N50 per litre at designated centres. Wherever it is available these days, it sells for as much as three or four times that sum. And we are talking of the cities. It is a usual sight nowadays to see long queues of kerosene kegs at filling stations. And when per chance any of the stations is expecting the scarce commodity, it is besieged by an unimaginable human armada. At the end of the day many of them will return home without kerosene. The situation has been like this for many months.

The More Barrels We See…


Written by Ayodele Akinkuotu


The erstwhile oil minister who may shortly return to the portfolio declared before she left office last May that she was unaware of the scarcity. She immediately ordered the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC “to flood the market” with the product. What we are treated to these days is the laughable buck-passing between relevant government agencies and independent marketers. In spite of the dire situation, not a few are surprised that the incidence of fire outbreaks due to kerosene adulteration has been minimal. That is not to say those who do it have completely repented. Perhaps, Nigerians are more circumspect.

One underlying reason for the kerosene headache is the rising price of crude oil in the international market. That is the irony. The country is earning millions of dollars daily from this God-given resource, yet the citizens are suffering because of the ineptitude of our leaders. Today, our oil refineries are in a shambles. These are some of the refineries that were sold on the eve of President Olusegun Obasanjo’s departure from power in 2007. Shortly after Yar’Adua came to power, there was a groundswell of opposition against the sale. It was largely initiated by top officials of the NNPC. The latter vowed that if the sale was reversed, the refineries would roar back to life in a few months. The government did just that, and four years down the line, we are still waiting for the refineries to start roaring. At her screening last week, Diezani Alison-Madueke told the senators that the Turnaround Maintenance done on these refineries were done by companies, which had no knowledge of them. What a revelation! Who approved such contracts and when they were bungled, what penalties did we exact and from whom? Against the backdrop of the Nigerian factor, many people will conclude that the contracts were nothing more than sweetheart deals that were not meant to be executed. And that is why a nation blessed with crude oil imports the finished products, some of which are in turn sold to the citizens at subsidised rates. Many foreign airlines flying into Nigeria no longer refuel here, they do that in neighbouring Ghana because Jet A4 is said to be cheaper there. That country only joined the league of oil exporting nations last year. So, why are we so blessed?

http://www.tellng.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=400:the-more-barrels-we-see