Former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Pastor Reno Omokri, Saturday frowned at the report making rounds that the contract between the Federal Government of Nigeria, FGN, and Process and Industrial Development Ltd, P & ID, was signed by Jonathan’s administration.
Reno averred that when FGN and P & ID sealed their contract, Jonathan was not a President but vice to late President Umaru Yar’adua.
Disclosing this via his verified tweeter handle, Reno said that the PID transaction was sealed in January 2010, but Jonathan became President on February 2010.
Recall that a British court had yesterday ordered P&ID to seize Nigerian assets worth of $9bn.
Reacting, the Federal government through its solicitor general of the federation and permanent secretary, federal ministry of justice, Dayo Apata, opined that it is making vigorous efforts to defend its interest in the matter and would not relent in exploring every viable option in doing so.
“Please recall the dispute that led to Arbitration between Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) and Process and Industrial Development Ltd which arose from a 20 year Gas Supply and Processing Agreement (GSPA) entered in 2010 between FGN (through the Ministry of Petroleum Resources) and P & ID in respect of an accelerated gas development project in Nigeria’s OMLs 67 and 123. P&ID never began the construction of the project facility although it alleges it incurred about $40 Million in preliminary expenses.
“P & ID’s claim in the arbitration proceedings was mainly for loss of profit for the entire twenty-year term of the GSPA, initially claiming the sum of US$1.9 Billion and later increasing its claim to US$5.9 Billion.
“The Arbitral Tribunal on 31st January 2017 rendered its Final Award against the Ministry of Petroleum Resources in the sum of US$6.597 Billion together with pre-award interest at the rate of 7% per annum effective from 20th March 2013 and post-award interest at the same rate till date of payment”, part of the statement read.
Irked with Jonathans involvement in the contract Reno said, “Jonathan’s hands are clean. Buhari and his propagandists are in overdrive mode trying to make a case against former President Jonathan on the PID verdict
“Neither former President Jonathan, nor his administration is responsible for the $9 billion judgment against Nigeria in the United Kingdom in a case brought against the nation by Messrs P & ID. And as usual, I will present the facts.
“P&ID claimed to enter a gas supply and processing agreement with Nigeria’s Ministry of Petroleum Resources in January 2010. At that time, former President Jonathan was not in power. He has absolutely NOTHING to do with that contract.
“The PID transaction was sealed in January of 2010. Jonathan was not President in January 2010. At that time, he was completely shut out of power by an unelected cabal that ran Nigeria during the period of the ill health of the late President Yar’adua
“The cabal not only excluded Jonathan from government, but went beyond to take documents, including budgets and contracts, to Saudi Arabia, and claimed that the then ailing President Umaru Yar’adua signed them on his sickbed.
“Nigerians may recall that the cabal announced on December 28, 2009 that Yar’adua signed a supplementary budget and other documents from his sick bed in Saudi Arabia, without the foreknowledge or acquiescence of then VP Jonathan or the Federal Cabinet
“In fact, a week later, the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) came out with an exposé alleging that the signatures on the documents were forged and Femi Falana (SAN) took up the case in court.
“The man who packaged and arranged the signing of the contract with P & ID was a member of the cabal and Yar’adua’s minister for petroleum, the late Rilwanu Lukman.
“The same cabal has resurrected and has now coalesced around Buhari, with some made either ministers, or formal and informal advisers. As a matter of fact, the main man behind that cabal is now one of the closest persons to General Buhari.
“Nigerians may want to note that while this controversial contract was signed in January of 2010, former President Jonathan only became acting President on February 9, 2010.
“So, if the Buhari administration is looking for someone to blame for this judgment against Nigeria, it should look at its own cabal.”
