Distinguished Ladies and gentlemen,
Gentlemen of the press,
We have called this press conference today, as part of our patriotic duty to this country, and in furtherance of our commitment towards supporting efforts of government and stakeholders, in ensuring that we eradicate our country of corruption and all forms of economic terrorism.
We want to call attention of Nigerians and the international community, to yet another attempt by some Persons within the Federal Goverrment, being coordinated by the Minister of State for Petroleum, in active cohort with officials of International oil giants, AGIP/ENI to illegally secured the development and exploration for Oil in the Controversial OPL 245, otherwise known as the Malabu Oil Scandal.
Ladies and gentlemen, recall the scandalous, lack of transparency associated with the purchase of the OPL 245 from the Dan Etete owned Malabu Oil ltd for $1.3billion through the then administration of President Goodluck Jonathan who was represented by the then Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Jusitice, Mr Mohammed Adoke SAN, in the resolution Agreement of 2011.
It is a our knowledge, supported by the opinion of Experts and Global Energy Investors, that the Asset was under valued and the deal was Fraudulent, thereby robbing our nation and her people, resources that should be have been used for our collective good. The aftermath of the then shady deal, prompted the Governments of Host Countries of Headquarters of both AGIP/ENI in Italy and SHell Netherlands to Commerce Criminal Investigations into the involvement of officials of these companies, which as so far seen more than 7 top Executives, of both AGIP/ENI and SHELL, who were at the helm of affairs at the time of the scandalous deal, being prosecuted and sentenced, with the two Companies heavily fined.
In our own case in Nigeria, the EFCC has continue to investigate the scandalous manner, the $1.1 paid by AGIP/ENI was shared among Dan Etete, top government officials and Staff of both AGIP/ENI and SHELL. The cases are still in Court to prosecute.
Gentle men of the Press, current events in the public, supported by clear evidences from well known RESOURCES Track Organization, released recently indicated that, if the OPL 245 is allowed to be developed by AGIP/ENI through the Zabazaba deep water project of the Oil block, Nigeria will loses over $7 billion dollar again to these companies who are determined to continually economically terrorise our country. Can we just imagine how well the administration can go, in utilising such a whooping amount, in developing our education, infrastructure and health sectors.
Based on the available information of over $7 billion, anticipated losses, the Federal government , through the Office of the incumbent Attorney General and Minister of Justice has filed a fresh lawsuit to retrieved the $1.1 billion and recover the OPL 245, against JP Morgan in London, being the bank used for the illegal transaction and criminal purchase by AGIP/ENI of DAN ETETE MALABU OPL 245 for $1.1billion since November, 2018.
It may interest you to also know that other groups have also filed suits in Nigerian Courts for the OPL 245 to be revoke and restored to Nigeria.
However, AGIP/ENI, with connivance with top Petroleum Ministry officials, with all the monumental fraud associated with it, are hellbent on using back door tactics to get approval for renewal of OPL 245, which has expired through mischievously seeking approval for the Signing of the Final Investment Decision (FID) of Zabazaba Deep water Project.
This Protest is a call to duty and defense of our Nation. We can no longer allow these oil companies to subject our government and our people, to another form of colonialism, through their economic terrorism and greedy acquisition of our commonwealth.
Nigerians are determined and we shall ensure that we employ every legal means, to resist this attempt to allocate this controversial oil block to AGIP/ENI
We are calling on all Civil Society partners, pan-Niger delta organizations, sociocultural groups to join us in the mother of all protest against this stealing, fleecing, and assets stripping by AGIP/ENI, SHELL and their local conspirators.
We are also urging the EFCC to revisit the pending Malabu scandal trial and ensure that everyone culpable is brought to justice.