Oando PLC, a leading energy company, has categorically denied recent allegations circulating on social media and digital platforms regarding its ownership of a blending plant in Malta and the importation of dirty fuel into Nigeria through a Maltese company named Raz Hansir Oil Terminal Limited.
In a statement issued by the company secretary, Ayotola Jagun, Oando clarified that neither the company nor its executives have ever held shares, investments, or interests in the alleged Maltese company. Oando’s internal investigations, including a search of the Malta Business Registry, have yielded no evidence of the existence of such a company.
Jagun emphasized the importance of publicizing accurate information about a publicly-quoted company like Oando, stating that any corporate actions, such as acquisitions, are always declared publicly in compliance with relevant corporate governance laws and rules.
The recent controversy surrounding Malta and its oil industry emerged following claims by Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, that certain officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) own blending plants in Malta. In response, NNPC’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, denied owning a blending plant in Malta.