…raise alarm over authencity of DPR receipts presented by oil blocs holders, operators
…summon CBN Governor, Kupolokun
The House of Representatives’ Adhoc Committee investigating the status and payment of signature bonuses on all the oil blocs awarded by previous administrations on Tuesday alleged that it could not trace all the signature bonuses paid into Federal Government’s coffers since 1999.
Worried by the discrepancies in the approval letters provided by some of the holders/operators of the Oil Prospecting Licences (OPLs) and Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) to the Adhoc Committee during the ongoing investigative public hearing, the Committee resolved to invite Funsho Kupolokun, former Special Assistant to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The Adhoc Committee chaired by Gideon Gwani (APC-Kaduna), specifically demanded for copies of President Obasanjo’s approval which empowered Kupolokun to approve the oil blocs in breach of extant laws.
The Adhoc Committee also threatened to issue warrant of arrest against Godwin Emefiele, Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) if he fails to produce financial statement of all the signature bonuses paid by holders/operators of the OPLs and OMLs accrued to Federal Governmen’s coffer through Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).
The lawmakers during the investigative hearing, queried DPR over its failure to issue receipt to operators of some oil blocs who got Federal Government’s approval for staggered payment.
Trouble started when the lawmakers queried the authenticity of the ‘consolidated’ receipt issued by DPR to EMO for the payment of the sum of $65 million signature bonus on OPL 279 and the unpaid balance of $16.250 million.
“I’ve seen DPR’s receipts but I’ve not seen anyone that looks like this. You cannot pretend that for all this while, you cannot keep a bank statement. You can’t be telling us, you have bank account but cannot give us any evidence,” a member of the committee queried DPR officials.
But in response to the lawmakers query, Namson Jacob, EMO representative who debunked the $16.250 million balance argued that the company paid the mandatory 25 percent signature bonus and the balance to DPR.
He added that the sum of $50 million was also paid in full for OPL 285.
“Information provided by the CBN so far is not revealing the content we want to see with regards to signature bonuses and we have written to the CBN again to specifically provide us with that information of some of the oil blocs that have been claimed by DPR and some of the oil companies that they have paid.
“We have not seen CBNs reply, a week has passed and we can also testify to the fact that a member has moved a motion that we should invite them here and if they don’t come, we should request for a warrant of arrest.
“We have summoned CBN, if they don’t come. we would request for a warrant of arrest. Sometimes, we don’t know if the Speaker would do it within 24 hours. By tomorrow we would summon them. If they don’t, we go for a warrant of arrest.
“These are some of the problems that are not allowing us to complete this work and what we are trying to do is to tidy up this assignment in such a way that it would also be a document for DPR, so another Assembly will not come and start the process all over again. We have told the leadership that that most of these oil companies are not complying until we threatened them.
“You know that this government needs money and and we want to be sure that monies that are suppose to be paid to government for the purposes of developing this country are paid. Peoples mist not come in here and acquire without licenses, because we are investigating,” Gwani said.
On his part, Edu Inyang, DPR representative, noted that did not receive the payment directly as the money was paid into CBN account, after which the apex bank will notify DPR of the payment.
He further explained that the agency will formally request for copies of the financial statement which could not be provided to the committee.
While responding to questions from the Adhoc Committee, Inyang, noted that some of the prospective investors into the oil blocs allocated by previous administrations have pulled out of the country, due to economic reasons.
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