Oil Blocks’ Award: Group Absolves Minister

The Association of Good Gov

ernance and Probity in Nigeria, has absolved the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke, of the alleged discretionary award of oil blocks and the missing signature bonuses paid for them.

The report of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu-led Task Force on Petroleum Revenue that was submitted to President Goodluck Jonathan recently but earlier seen by Reuters, which reported that a total of $183 million realized from signature bonuses paid by oil companies to the federation was missing.

Reuters’ report accused the Minister of Petroleum Resources that served between 2008 and 2011 of giving out seven discretionary oil licenses and which is the $183 million signature bonuses allegedly realized from them got missing, which also led to calls for resignation or sack of Allison-Madueke by some groups.

The spokesman of Association of Good Governance and Probity in Nigeria, Mr. Daniel Agada, however, said the group’s investigation at the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), showed no discretionary award of oil blocks has taken place in 2008, while others are marginal fields.

The group said the acreage allocation done in 2008 was to Addax and partners which Addax Petroleum had 40 per cent equity; Express Petroleum 39 per cent, and Petroleum Prospect 21 per cent. The acreage, it noted was originally discretionary awarded in 1990s but passed through protracted litigation until it was concluded in 2008. It added that the signature bonus paid for the allocation was $10 million.