Yemisi Izuora
Neconde Energy Limited has denied having any under hand dealing with a former Vice-President of Shell in Nigeria, Mr Peter Robinson, in the acquisition of Oil Mining Lease(OML) 42.
Neconde, is an indigenous oil and gas company, operating OML 42 in partnership with the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (NPDC), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.
Neconde in a statement said it has been brought to its attention that local and international media have published some news article on the current investigation of a former Vice-President of Shell in Nigeria, Mr. Peter Robinson, in connection with a case of suspected bribery in the acquisition of Oil Prospecting License (OPL) 245 in Nigeria by Italy’s ENI and Shell.
Neconde said it was worried that, the same news reports also allege the involvement of Robinson in a suspected kickback in the acquisition of Oil Mining Lease (OML) 42 by Neconde in 2011.
Neconde, explained that it acquired 45 percent joint equity interest in OML 42 in an open and competitive bid in early 2011, in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria from Shell, TOTAL and NAOC. The acquisition it said, was financed by a consortium of reputable local and international financiers.
‘ ‘At the time of the acquisition, Neconde was aware that Mr. Robinson was a Vice President in Shell. However, other than the legitimate business of acquisition of OML 42 for which full consideration was furnished, Neconde did not have any other formal or informal dealing with Robinson.
For the acquisition of OML 42, Neconde paid the full consideration provided by its financiers and in accordance with the competitive bid process adopted by the three International Oil Companies (IOCs). At the end of the bidding process, these three IOCs also unanimously agreed, at their respective highest decision-making levels, to the sale of OML 42 to Neconde. Neconde did not pay any money, in whatever guise, to Mr. Robinson or any other person in Shell, TOTAL or NAOC to facilitate the acquisition of their joint interest in OML 42.