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Update: $2.4bn oil probe : Malami and Zainab Ahmed fail to answer queries on alleged illegal sale of crude oil to China
The House of Representatives has threatened to serve the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; and Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), with summons over their failure to answer queries on alleged illegal sale of crude oil to China and utilisation of funds recovered through whistle-blowers without National Assembly appropriation.
The House’ Ad Hoc Committee to Investigate Alleged Loss of Over $2.4 Billion in Revenue from Illegal Sale of 48 Million Barrels of Crude Oil Export in 2015 Including All Crude Oil Exports and Sales by Nigeria from 2014 Till Date, which reinvited the ministers at its continued investigative hearing in Abuja on Wednesday, threatened to use its constitutional powers to compel them to appear before it.
Top officials of the Federal Government had failed to appear before the committee at its last sitting on April 11, 2023.
The committee was to grill ministers and other heads of ministries, departments and agencies of the Federal Government as well as oil companies and banks. However, only the National Intelligence Agency and the Code of Conduct Bureau sent representatives on the government side.
Consequently, the committee reinvited Ahmed, Malami; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, among others.
Chairman of the committee, Mark Gbillah, in his ruling at the end of the day’s sitting, had noted that the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation had indicted several officials and agencies in their memoranda to the panel.
Gbillah noted that the committee is probing into the 48 million barrels of crude oil allegedly sold in China, crude oil exports in general from Nigeria for the period under review and the whistle-blower revelations and recoveries “which the Federal Government has publicly declared they had made recoveries from.”
However, the FG officials failed to show up at the hearing again on Wednesday.
Miffed by the development, Gbillah said, “We have not been getting cooperation from the Ministry of Finance and Attorney-General’s office with regards to salient issues that this committee is investigating. We have seen documentation from the Accountant-General’s office that shows that the Honourable Minister of Finance approved the payment of a significant and substantial amount of money to so-called whistle-blowers where details of monies recovered were not provided.”
The Chairman of the committee added, “We have heard media reports by the Federal Government indicating that millions of dollars were recovered through whistle-blower revelations on behalf of the country. But we as a parliament have not seen where those monies were routed through the constitutional appropriation process before they were expended. The constitution is very clear about the receipt and expenditure of Nigeria’s money. But we have not seen evidence from the Honourable Minister of Finance or from the Attorney-General’s office, and we have not seen any statutory power provided to the Attorney-General to be involved in the expenditure of Nigeria’s commonwealth.
“There was an incident that was revealed by a whistle-blower who made a formal report to the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU). About $200m paid into two companies’ accounts – Biz Plus and GSCL – allegedly for consultancy services, which allegedly were approved, they said, by the Attorney-General’s office on the approval of Mr President.”
Gbillah stressed the need for government officials to explain the issues surrounding the funds, especially as they had been accused of authorising the spending.
“We need the Honourable Minister of Finance and the Attorney-General of the Federation to appear before this House to provide clarity on the inflows that have come in from whistle-blowers’ recoveries and to provide clarification about these monies that have recovered. And the CBN as well will be required to provide information that has been provided by these whistle-blowers about such substantial amounts of monies that were paid supposedly and allegedly for consultancy services, when there is no record of any agreement of any sort entered into for those services.
“These are very weighty allegations and as a responsible House, we owe everybody fair hearing and a benefit of the doubt, which is what we have been seeking to accord those who have been mentioned in these allegations. But we find it ‘unfashionable’ that the Honourable Minister of Finance and Attorney-General have not bothered to respond to any of the correspondence from the committee, and this in our opinion shows a lack of regard for the institution, not only of House, but also of the National Assembly as a whole.
“We will make this further appeal to the Honourable Minister of Finance and the Attorney General of the Federation, and all others who have not responded or who have not honoured the committee’s invitations to do so in the national interest. And in the event that they fail to do so, we will be constrained to proceed to summons and other statutory powers that the committee and the National Assembly can exercise in this regard.
“So, we want to make this a formal and final notice to those concerned – the Honourable Minister of Finance and the Attorney General of the Federation – to cause appearance before the committee, to give evidence with regards to the allegations that have been made, with regards to the questions that the committee has requested them to answer and to respond to,” he said.
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi, over alleged money laundering offences.
A source within the anti-graft agency, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment officially on the matter, disclosed on Wednesday that Abdullahi was arrested in Abuja and is currently being held in the custody of the commission.
According to the source, the investigation involves alleged fraud amounting to about N500 billion.
“We have arrested the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi, over alleged money laundering offences. He was arrested in Abuja and is currently in our custody. The amount involved is estimated at N500 billion,” the source said.
The commission is yet to issue an official statement regarding the arrest as investigations continue.
Senator Cyril Fasuyi, representing Ekiti North Senatorial District, has been dragged before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged fraud involving the sum of $2,980,535.00.
The petition, submitted by Mr. Nuel Wilson, West Africa Regional Representative of Integrated Packaging Systems FZCO (IPS Ingredis) and its Nigerian subsidiary, IPS Ingredis Integrated Systems Limited, accused Senator Fasuyi and his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Adun Fasuyi, of conspiracy, fraudulent conversion, obtaining by false pretence, stealing, and diversion of foreign investment funds.
According to the petition, which was acknowledged by the EFCC on December 10, 2020, the Dubai-based company alleged that the senator and his wife, operating under the name Legacy Foods Limited, failed to remit payment for products supplied to them after several business transactions.
The petition stated that IPS Ingredis, a company registered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, conducts the business of sales, supply, and distribution of raw materials across different countries, including Nigeria, through its local subsidiary based in Lagos State.
The complainant explained that the business relationship between both parties began in November 2015 after the suspects were introduced to the company by one of its Chinese customers. Following several meetings, the Fasuyis allegedly represented themselves as credible business partners interested in the company’s line of products.
Based on the agreement, the company reportedly supplied various raw materials, including corn starch, maltodextrin, shortening, maltose syrup, and other products to Legacy Foods Limited through multiple purchase orders.
The petition further alleged that goods worth over $9 million were supplied to the suspects during the course of the business relationship. However, the company claimed that after selling the products, the suspects allegedly refused to pay the outstanding sum of $2,980,535.00.
“Our clients supplied goods worth over $9,000,000.00 to the suspects. The suspects, after selling all the goods, refused to pay the sum of Two Million, Nine Hundred and Eighty Thousand, Five Hundred and Thirty Five United States Dollars worth of products already supplied,” part of the petition read.
The foreign investors also accused the suspects of allegedly diverting proceeds from the sales for personal use and benefits, despite repeated demands for payment.
According to the petition, investigations allegedly revealed that the products supplied had been sold and disposed of, while proceeds were allegedly converted for personal gains.
The complainant described the development as “a calculated attempt to dispossess foreign investors of their investment in Nigeria through fraudulent means.”
The petition also emphasized the need for Nigerian authorities to protect foreign investments and uphold the spirit of bilateral investment agreements between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates.
Meanwhile, the petition named Mrs. Elizabeth Adun Fasuyi as a co-suspect in the matter. She was reportedly present in court alongside her husband at a point during proceedings but allegedly avoided arrest by operatives of the anti-graft agency.
Senator Cyril Fasuyi, representing Ekiti North Senatorial District, has been dragged before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged fraud involving the sum of $2,980,535.00.
The petition, submitted by Mr. Nuel Wilson, West Africa Regional Representative of Integrated Packaging Systems FZCO (IPS Ingredis) and its Nigerian subsidiary, IPS Ingredis Integrated Systems Limited, accused Senator Fasuyi and his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Adun Fasuyi, of conspiracy, fraudulent conversion, obtaining by false pretence, stealing, and diversion of foreign investment funds.
According to the petition, which was acknowledged by the EFCC on December 10, 2020, the Dubai-based company alleged that the senator and his wife, operating under the name Legacy Foods Limited, failed to remit payment for products supplied to them after several business transactions.
The petition stated that IPS Ingredis, a company registered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, conducts the business of sales, supply, and distribution of raw materials across different countries, including Nigeria, through its local subsidiary based in Lagos State.
The complainant explained that the business relationship between both parties began in November 2015 after the suspects were introduced to the company by one of its Chinese customers. Following several meetings, the Fasuyis allegedly represented themselves as credible business partners interested in the company’s line of products.
Based on the agreement, the company reportedly supplied various raw materials, including corn starch, maltodextrin, shortening, maltose syrup, and other products to Legacy Foods Limited through multiple purchase orders.
The petition further alleged that goods worth over $9 million were supplied to the suspects during the course of the business relationship. However, the company claimed that after selling the products, the suspects allegedly refused to pay the outstanding sum of $2,980,535.00.
“Our clients supplied goods worth over $9,000,000.00 to the suspects. The suspects, after selling all the goods, refused to pay the sum of Two Million, Nine Hundred and Eighty Thousand, Five Hundred and Thirty Five United States Dollars worth of products already supplied,” part of the petition read.
The foreign investors also accused the suspects of allegedly diverting proceeds from the sales for personal use and benefits, despite repeated demands for payment.
According to the petition, investigations allegedly revealed that the products supplied had been sold and disposed of, while proceeds were allegedly converted for personal gains.
The complainant described the development as “a calculated attempt to dispossess foreign investors of their investment in Nigeria through fraudulent means.”
The petition also emphasized the need for Nigerian authorities to protect foreign investments and uphold the spirit of bilateral investment agreements between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates.
Meanwhile, the petition named Mrs. Elizabeth Adun Fasuyi as a co-suspect in the matter. She was reportedly present in court alongside her husband at a point during proceedings but allegedly avoided arrest by operatives of the anti-graft agency.
Engr. Marcus Adedini, Aspirant for Ife Federal Constituency, heartily congratulate the distinguished Ife-born retired military officer, Major General Adeyinka FAMADEWA (Rtd), on his well-deserved appointment as Special Adviser on Homeland Security by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
This prestigious appointment is a clear recognition of your years of meritorious service, professionalism, discipline, and unwavering commitment to national development and security.
Your appointment has brought immense pride, honour, and joy to the people of Ife Kingdom, as it further reflects the excellence and capacity of our sons and daughters who continue to contribute meaningfully to nation-building. Your outstanding record of leadership and dedication to service remains a great source of inspiration to many across the country.
As you assume this important national assignment, I am confident that your wealth of experience and strategic leadership will contribute significantly to strengthening peace, stability, and homeland security in Nigeria.
I pray that God grants you wisdom, strength, and greater success in this new office. Congratulations once again, Sir.
Signed:
Engr. Marcus Adedini
Aspirant, Ife Federal Constituency
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