THE ongoing oil subsidy scam probe on Thursday took a new dimension as a Lagos-based oil magnate, Femi Otedola dragged the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and former chairman of the House ad hoc committee on the probe, Honourable Farouk Lawan, before an Abuja High Court claiming the sum of N250 billion as compensation for business losses he suffered by the actions of the defendants.
Counsel for Otedola, Babajide Koku, SAN, who joined Zenon Petroleum and Gas as co plaintiff, is claiming N100 billion as general damages for acts of intimidation, loss of goodwill and patronages occasioned by the acts of the Speaker and Lawan.
Meanwhile, the defendants have through their counsel, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, from Chief Afe Babalola chambers filed an objection to hearing of the suit by an Abuja High Court, claiming that it is only the Federal High Court that has jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
The presiding judge, Justice Peter Kekemeke, however, adjourned the case till November 23.
Otedola had further claimed another N150 billion against the defendants as exemplary damages for their alleged oppressive and arbitrary actions against him and his company.
The plaintiff also challenged the alleged move by Lawan and Tambuwal to relist his company among the oil firms already indicted for allegedly defrauding the Federal Government.
In his 28-paragraph statement of claim, Otedola averred that by resolution of January 8, this year, the House of Representatives set up an ad hoc committee to verify and determine the actual subsidy amount made to oil companies and to also monitor the implementation of the subsidy in the country.
He also claimed that Honourable Lawan later allegedly contacted and informed that his company was going to be indicted for purchasing foreign exchange from Central Bank of Nigeria without importing fuel.
The businessman averred that in spite of his explanations, Lawan allegedly demanded $3 million bribe to enable Zenon Oil to get a clean bill of health.
He, however, contended that Lawan resorted to persistent phone calls, threatening him that his company would be included in the list of indicted oil importers and that the image and reputations of Zenon Oil would be greatly affected unless he pays the $3 million.
Faced with the unrelenting barrage of intimidating phone calls, the plaintiff claimed that he became distressed and reported the unlawful demands to security agencies.
He also averred that he secured the advice of security agents to play along by giving marked money to Lawan with a view to gathering evidence for the nefarious activities.
Otedola claimed that the situation got to the peak on April 18 when the fuel subsidy probe report was submitted, indicting Zenon Oil company.
He claimed further that Lawan called and assured him that Zenon can be delisted from the list of the indicted ones, prompting him to give $620,000 marked money in two instalments with $500,000 to Lawan and another $120,000 to one Boniface Emenalo on the instruction of Lawan.
With the bribe paid, the plaintiff averred that Lawan on April 24 moved the House to delist the name of Zenon Oil from the indicted company but was still persistent in demanding for the balance of $2,380,000 prompting him to report the incident to the police.
The plaintiff asserted that in spite of the ongoing police investigation, the Speaker and Honourable Lawan have allegedly conspired to relist his company among the indicted companies to embarrass him and his business corporate image.
He claimed that the purpose of relisting Zenon Oil was to force and intimidate him to drop his complaints against Lawan.
Otedola, therefore, asked the court to award him N250 billion for the grave injuries done to his reputation and business image resulting in the substantial loss of goodwill and patronage of the business built over the years.
In another development, indications have emerged in Abuja that top oil barons who are angered by the tight fiscal policies introduced by the Finance Minister, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in the management of oil subsidy have commenced moves to ensure her sack.
An alleged plot against her was said to have been uncovered by security agents at the weekend, with sources indicating that some forces have reportedly drawn up an elaborate plan to handle the minister.
It was gathered that the questions involved character assassination, planting seed of discord within the cabinet and what another source called “physical harms, if all other options fail to get her out of the way.”
Sources said that the decision to attack Okonjo-Iweala was taken, following her hard stance on the subsidy payment issue.
“With the end of the free fall in the management of the subsidy, things have been getting tight for the marketers who were involved in the subsidy bazaar. Now, many of them are blaming the Minister for their failure to continue to secure free funds,” a source stated
It was gathered that the new dimension to the oil subsidy issue came as a fallout of ongoing push to rid the oil sector of graft, a matter that appears to have been taken to another level by the recently submitted Nuhu Ribadu report on oil revenue.
Following the discovery of the plot against Okonjo-Iweala, sources told the Nigerian Tribune that authorities in Abuja haD decided to beef up security around her.
Investigations also showed that some eagle-eyed security chiefs had been deployed at the Ministry of Finance, while 24-hour security surveillance was said to have been arranged to secure the minister, who is believed to be the brains behind travails of the indicted oil marketers.
It was also gathered that one of the suspected barons behind the alleged plan against Okonjo-Iweala was being put under close watch, while the bail of one of them might be revoked on account of the discovery.
Sources, however, confirmed that the minister had told her close allies that she remained unruffled and that she had vowed to forge ahead with the responsibilities assigned her by President Goodluck Jonathan.
“She is resolute despite the threats and she has further vowed to expose more of such corrupt practices if such is discovered in the performance of her official assignments,” a close ally said.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Deziani Allison-Maduekwe, on Thursday, vowed to dismantle the oil cartel which, she said, had held the nation to ransom, adding that in spite of their threats and blackmail tactics, she would press ahead with measures to sanitise the industry.
Speaking with newsmen in Abuja, she said the Federal Government would never allow the cartel to have a stranglehold on the nation’s oil and gas business again.
Mrs Allison-Maduekwe alleged that she was being persecuted by detractors because of her determination to reform the petroleum industry, in line with the reform agenda of President Jonathan.
She said those opposed to the reform agenda of government “were doing so because we have been able to frustrate their efforts in strangulating the economy through their devilish black market and questionable profiteering at the expense of the Nigerian people.”
She added: “I would not want to join issues with those criticising me because they are crying foul that through us, Mr. President has broken the old order where things were done without coordination. What is hurting them is that we have put policies in place where they can no longer cheat the government and cause untold hardship for millions of Nigerians.”
While noting that genuine operators and stakeholders in the oil and gas sector have no need not be afraid of her initiatives, Mrs Allison-Maduekwe lauded the cordial relationship between the Ministry and it parastatals including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Petroleum Pricing and Marketing Company (PPMC) and Directorate of Petroleum Resources (DPR).
The Tribune
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