Sahara Energy Resource Limited (SERL) on Friday, debunked rumours in various media platforms, linking its firm to an alleged $200 million it illegally benefitted from the office of the late chief of staff of the federation, Abba Kyari.
In a statement, the firm noted that its attention has been draw to what it called “a false and misleading” media report initially published by an online new portal on July 15, 2020, under the headline: “How Late Abba Kyari Illegally Shared $200 million from $1.099 billion oil Bloc money To Sahara Energy”, which has also been re-hashed in other online media publications.
According to Sahara Energy, the said report makes unfounded allegations and cites apparent falsehoods from unnamed sources in what the firm said could be best described as a sponsored smear campaign.
It cited several false claims including a statement to the effect that an executive director of SERL- Tope Shonubi has an amount of approximately $400 million kept in trust for late Kyari,
The report also falsely reports a statement that “in May 2016, officials of the EFCC raided the Lagos and Abuja offices of Sahara Energy carting away several computers and documentary evidence of the deals.
For the avoidance of doubt, Sahara Energy explained that the allegations in the report were baseless, unfounded and a deliberate attempt to mislead the public. “We categorically deny any illegal alliance with Mamman Daura or the late Abba Kyari or indeed any other political appointees as alleged and the above-listed individuals do not have or have never had and have never been promised any inducements or interests whatsoever by or us or any of our affiliates,”
“It is on record that SERL, a Sahara Group company, is one of the foremost indigenous operators in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector with a sterling pedigree spanning over two decades with demonstrable and impeccable governance, integrity, service excellence and good corporate citizenship,” the firm added
In the statemen, Sahara noted it wasn’t the first of its kind by way of smear campaigns against SERL by the online portal as its company had in the past instituted legal action against the said medium and its owners and secured judgment against it for publishing false and defamatory information about the company.
For the benefit of its stakeholders and other counterparts across the globe, Sahara explained it has a duty to set the record straight in view of the false and misleading report by the said online portal and other online publications.
It urged members of the public to disregard the report in its entirety noting that it would continuously promote transparency in business, working and supporting global stakeholders including the United Nations Private Sector Advisory Group and the World Economic Forum Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI).
“We remain committed to the principles of good governance, best practice and service excellence that have successfully driven the Sahara Brand in the last two decades – across its locations in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East,” the firm said
