Former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar has raised concerns over alleged preferential treatment in the country’s oil and gas sector, calling for government transparency regarding recent asset acquisitions.
In a statement released by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Abubakar questioned the expedited approval of Oando Plc’s purchase of AGIP and ENI’s onshore assets. Oando Plc is reportedly owned by a relative of President Bola Tinubu.
“Within just eight months, the Nigerian Upstream Production Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) approved a deal which saw the divestment of ENI/AGIP onshore assets to Oando,” Abubakar stated. He contrasted this with ongoing delays in other transactions, such as the Shell/Renaissance and Mobil/Seplat deals.
The former vice president and 2023 presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also criticized the Tinubu administration’s subsidy policies and accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) of mortgaging national oil assets.
Abubakar highlighted the House of Representatives’ July 2023 directive to suspend NNPCL’s acquisition of OVH assets pending an investigation. He claimed that NNPCL ignored this directive and proceeded with the transfer of ownership.
Furthermore, Abubakar pointed to Nigeria’s withdrawal of litigation against Shell/ENI in the OPL 245 scandal, describing it as “controversial” and suggesting it might be part of a quid pro quo arrangement.
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