Federal government of Nigeria has claimed that Goodluck Jonathan former president, and Diezani Alison-Madueke, former Minister of Petroleum Resources collected bribes for the controversial OPL 245 deal.
Documents of the deal were presented with the accusations case filed at a London court by lawyers representing the federal government about the payments made to acquire the licence in 2011 when Jonathan was the head of State.
In a court case filed against Shell and Eni, Nigeria Government said Jonathan and Alison-Madueke undermine the law for making an ocult profit and put aside government from its original share of the deal.
OPL 245 was awarded to Malabu Oil and Gas Ltd on the 9th of April,1998, by Military government of Nigeria, which Muhammad Abacha, son of Sani Abacha owned, then, Etete, who was the petroleum minister of petroleum.
OPL 245 was awarded to Malabu Oil and Gas Ltd on the 9th of April,1998, by Military government of Nigeria, which Muhammad Abacha, son of Sani Abacha owned, then, Etete, who was the petroleum minister of petroleum.
Malabu’s licence was revoked on the 2nd of July, 2001 by President Olusegun Obasanjo and hand over to oil block to Shell, without a public consultation.
Upon filing a court case against the revoked, Malabu reclaimed it ownership in 2006 after after reaching an out-of-court settlement with the Nigeria government.
Shell did not agree with the outcome, then decided to fight back by commencing arbitration against Nigerian Government, but controversy seen to appeared in 2010 when President Goodluck Jonathan come power, the issue appeared to be resolved with Shell and Eni accept to buy the oil block from Malabu for $1.1 billion.
$210 million was paid by the oil companies as signature bonus to the federal government of Nigeria.
But, the deal was been entangled in a high controversies and trials over accusations of bribery and shady deals by officials of the Nigerian government under Buhari, and their foreign accomplices.
Information disclosed that OPL 245 have one of the biggest oil resources in Africa with reserves estimated at nine billion barrels that is untapped.
According to the court document: “Bribes were paid. The receipt of those bribes and the participation in the scheme of said officials was in breach of their fiduciary duties and Nigerian criminal law”.
Reuters said that Jonathan’s spokesman refused to comment on the issue, saying the former president was on duty as an election observer in South Africa.
Reuters said that Jonathan’s spokesman refused to comment on the issue, saying the former president was on duty as an election observer in South Africa.
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