by Hauwa Gambo

The Presidency yesterday denied suggestions that it was forced to direct that the report of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu’s Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force be submitted on Friday because of its leakage.

“It is very obvious that people are trying to politicise such a thing that does not require politics,” said Reuben Abati, special adviser on media and publicity on a radio programme, Fact File, on RayPower 100.5FM yesterday. “What the government is trying to do is to raise the level of integrity and accountability in a particular sector. Our position is that people should focus on that objective and not play politics with it.

“There is no cover-up. I can tell you that categorically. You will recall that when this particular committee was set up in February, there were two other committees that were also set up to look at the different aspects of the petroleum sector.

“The position of the Federal Government at the time, which is still its position now, is to ensure transparency, probity and accountability in that critical sector. That was why independent persons were brought in to look at different aspects, including petroleum revenue over a period and to give appropriate report to government.

“Those who are saying there is a cover-up clearly do not know what they are talking about. When you set up a committee, when it finishes its work, it is expected to submit its report to the appropriate authority.

“The committee was set up based on a presidential order. When the report is ready, it will go to the appropriate authority as I pointed out in an interview with The PUNCH.”

It will be recalled that the task force probed oil and gas transactions between 2002 and 2012, and reportedly uncovered massive corruption. Its report was published last week by news agency Reuters.

According to the leaked report – logged in at 146 pages – Ministers of Petroleum Resources between 2008 and 2011 handed out seven discretionary oil licences – and a total of $183m (N28.73bn) in signature bonuses paid by oil companies to the country was missing.

The report was described by the current minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke as a “draft”, and the Presidency claimed those who leaked the report want to embarrass the government. It would be noted that the report pinpoints Alison-Madueke for giving three of the seven oil licenses.

Abati confirmed yesterday through a media statement that Ribadu will be submitting the report to the President on Friday in Abuja, adding that two other committees set up earlier this year on the petroleum industry will also present their reports same day.

Those two committees are headed by Dotun Sulaiman and former minister Kalu Idika Kalu.