The struggle to recover unpaid arrears of approximately sixty-two billion one hundred and ninety million six hundred and seventy-nine thousand seven hundred and ninety-three dollars to the Federal Government of Nigeria by International Oil Companies was not for the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) to get any percentage thereof.
The Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations to the AGF, Dr Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, said in a statement yesterday that Malami reiterated his stance that the matter was neither propelled by any ulterior motive nor about gratification of any personal desire through any percentage to be given to the recovery agent, but of an unflinching patriotic commitment to getting back to the country the revenue it deserves.
“It has never been the tradition of the AGF to demand much-less of accepting a Kobo on matters relating to such engagements and conduct of his official duties. Multiple agents were overtime engaged in that respect without pecuniary consideration”, the Minister reaffirmed and added the Process of payment of professional fee is the exclusive function of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning.
Malami said it has never been the tradition of his office to effect payment of the professional fees. It is a “function exclusively vested in Federal Ministry of Finance which has the right to vet, confirm and interrogate issues before any payment is made. And payments are made upon recovery directly to the recovery agent and not to the Office of AGF”, he said.
Malami said rather than adopting campaign of calumny, evasive and dilly-dally techniques and tactics, the oil companies and their allies should channel such efforts toward paying the Federal Government its due, so as to execute more developmental projects in the country.
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Against the insinuations that he hired the recovery agent to carry out the task, he said Trobel International Ltd was the agency that originally came up with the idea of the liabilities of the oil companies for the consideration of the government, adding that the Supreme Court case to that effect was a product of joint efforts and understanding established by the parties at the instance of the company.
“Subsequent action thereof; inclusive of the court case and engagement of professionals for forensic analysis that established the case and the liability in quantum were all the products of Trobell’s initiatives”, he said.
For the avoidance of any allusions of securing any personal gains, the AGF has established a tradition of presenting for the consideration of the Federal Executive Councilcontentious issues that borders on payment of professional fees for Council’s approval.
The Minister noted that when his integrity is at stake, he has also established the tradition of submitting himself for judicial scrutiny and legal determination.
Malami recalled that in order to set the record straight and to clear his name against agents of blackmail, he had in similar circumstances, before now, initiated legal action against a media outfit which is pending in a court of law where his integrity is impugned.
The statement said: ”The AGF is determined to protect his integrity against individuals and corporate personalities bent on tarnishing his reputation in the conduct of government affairs.
”In this vein, the Minister had submitted for judicial determination against The Cable Network for insinuating of corrupt practices in handling of the Abacha loot, by alleging without proof that the Minister was engaged in sent underhand dealings in relation to the professional fees of the lawyers.”
Malami noted that despite the signing of Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contracts Act CAP D3 Law of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, the government in the past did not make concerted efforts to get the oil companies to pay the revenue they deserve to pay.
“Nigeria was to get more shares of the oil revenue which the international companies did not pay the arrears of which was estimated as at 2018, at sixty- two billion one hundred ninety million, six hundred and seventy-nine thousand seven hundred and nine three dollars.”
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