Hot Updates and Education Portal: petroleum

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It was learnt on Sunday that the commission constituted a four-member committee of crack detectives to probe all the NNPC accounts which were supervised by the former minister.</div>
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The
 Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has commenced a full 
investigation into the activities of the immediate past Minister of 
Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, and the Nigerian 
National Petroleum Corporation.<br /><br />
It was learnt that the committee was led by a Superintendent of Police, who was seconded to the commission.</div>
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It can be recalled that an ongoing probe of the immediate-past administration by President Muhammadu Buhari is already in progress to beam its searchlight on the alleged purchase of three mobile stages, costing $6.9m, by former President Goodluck Jonathan and two of his officials.<br /><br />
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Investigations revealed that the other three members of the committee 
were pioneer civilian operatives of the commission with high capacity 
for investigation.<br />
<br />According to a document, which was obtained from the Presidency on 
Saturday, the deal, which is now a subject of investigation, was 
allegedly carried out by Jonathan; his Chief Security Officer, Mr. 
Gordon Obuah; and Alison-Madueke.<br />
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The fund was said to have been withdrawn from one of the numerous accounts of the NNPC.<br />
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The $6.9m (about N1.37bn) was said to have been withdrawn for the 
purpose of buying three pieces of 40-feet mobile stages for use by 
Jonathan during the campaign.<br />
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Besides the latest allegation, it will be recalled that a group, 
Crusader for Good Governance, had petitioned the EFCC accusing the 
former minister of squandering million of dollars of public funds to 
charter private jets.<br />
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The petitioners also accused her of spending $300,000 on an average international trip.<br />
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The group also alleged that the NNPC, a government agency she oversaw, 
maintained a Challenger 850 Visa jet which serves the former minister’s 
needs as well as those of her family. The cost of running the jet is 
$500,000 per month.<br />
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She was also accused of going to a meeting of the Oil Producing and Exporting Countries in Austria in a private jet.<br />
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It was gathered on Sunday that the committee set up by the EFCC had 
since commenced probing the NNPC accounts and activities of the former 
minister.<br />
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A top operative of the EFCC,  said, “I think the commission has 
commenced investigation into this Diezani issue. It is not just about 
inviting her, the commission has set up a four-man team of crack 
detectives to investigate her operations in the NNPC.<br />
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“The terms of reference of the committee include to look into all the 
NNPC accounts which were under the supervision of Mrs. Alison-Madueke.<br />
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“The committee has since commenced work; they are still working. I think
 a very senior police officer, a Police Superintendent, is leading the 
other operatives in the probe of Diezani and multiple accounts of the 
NNPC.” The source said.<br />
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When our correspondent contacted the Head of Media and Publicity of the 
EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, on the activities of the EFCC Special 
Committee on the NNPC, the calls to his mobile telephone line did not 
connect.<br />
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But Uwujaren had earlier said that he was not aware if the commission 
had commenced a probe into the allegation that $6.9m was spent on 
campaign stages.<br />
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Uwujaren said that he had not been briefed on any such investigation.<br />
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“I am not aware of such a probe; I have not been briefed on such a probe,” he said.<br />
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Meanwhile, Obuah has denied the allegation of purchase of three mobile 
stages, costing $6.9m, for public appearance of the then President.<br />
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Obuah, who spoke through his lawyer, Mr. Andrew Tsekiri, in a telephone 
conversation with one of our correspondents on Sunday, said the 
allegation was false and challenged the President Muhammadu Buhari-led 
Federal Government to produce evidence instead of putting him on trial 
in the media.<br />
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Tsekiri said his client had been confronted with the allegation while in
 the detention of the Department of State Services, which he said 
investigated it and found it to be untrue.<br />
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The lawyer said, “Let me tell you, nothing like that exists. Obuah did 
not make demand for that money for any stage. Let them show to Nigerians
 evidence that he took the money. When Obuah was in their (DSS) 
detention, they investigated this particular matter and found out that 
it was false.<br />
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“He was confronted with the allegation. Mr. Obuah told them that he knew
 nothing about it, and they found that the allegation was false. They 
released him, why are they bringing it up again?”<br />
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He said since the release of the former President’s CSO from the DSS 
detention in July, he had not been contacted over the allegation by any 
government agency since then.<br />
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He said, “They have investigated the allegation and they found out it 
was false, since then no government agency had contacted or invited Mr. 
Obuah.<br />
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“They should show how Diezani authorised the payment of the money and 
how it left Citibank to Zenith Bank, to Access Bank to Sterling Bank and
 they should show how it ended in Obuah’s account.”<br />
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Tsekiri said the outcome of the allegation would soon show that the 
Buhari Administration was not interested in governance but to frame up 
allegations against people.<br />
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“They are just lying against Diezani and Mr. Jonathan. That is what they
 are doing. Let me tell you what they want to do. They will charge Obuah
 to court, make all the noise about the allegation that has been 
published, knowing full well that the matter will not be decided in 
about a year or two, and by then, the public would have forgotten about 
it but they would have spoilt your name.”
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